On the table in less than 30 minutes, this Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta is sure to be a hit with the entire family! Bursting with tasty and fresh flavors, this is the perfect summertime dish!

Pasta is a huge deal in this house. There is a week that doesn’t go by that we don’t at least have one pasta dish. It really doesn’t matter what it is.

Sometimes we just throw things together and boom you have something, sometimes we use recipes and sometimes we use boxed mixes, it doesn’t matter pasta is a staple dinner meal for us.

This Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta is one of our favorites, it’s perfect all year round because sun-dried tomatoes are easy to find and shelf stable so you don’t have to worry about them going bad.

That is one thing that we love about this recipe, that it uses sun-dried tomatoes opposed to regular tomatoes that if you were wanting to use them, you have to hurry!

All the flavors of this pasta dish come together really nicely and really play off your palette, and it will keep you wanting more and more. Probably why we love making this over and over again.

Plus, this has really easy to find ingredients that you can get at your local grocery store and it is on the table in under than 3o minutes, a win in our book!

Some of our other favorite pasta recipes we have on our site include: Chicken Alfredo Casserole, Tortellini alla Panna and Taco Spaghetti.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:

With easily available ingredients, this recipe is done in 3o minutes.
You can double this recipe to serve more people.
You can use any kind of pasta that you want.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF POST):

Pasta (we use fusilli)
Sun-dried tomatoes in oil
Sun-dried tomato oil
Paprika
Garlic paste
Crushed red pepper flakes
Dried basil
Dried oregano
Salt
Chicken broth
Heavy cream
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Shredded parmesan cheese
Fresh parsley, for garnish

HOW TO MAKE SUN-DRIED TOMATO PASTA, STEP BY STEP:

Cook the pasta according to package directions, reserving ¼ cup pasta water. Drain pasta, and set aside.
While the pasta is cooking, chop the sun-dried tomatoes to your desired size and add to a large deep skillet along with the oil, paprika, garlic paste, red pepper flakes, basil, oregano, and salt.
Cook over medium heat, frequently stirring for 3 to 4 minutes.
Next, pour in the chicken broth. Then add cream and the cheeses and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently until the cheese has melted and the mixture has reduced by about half. This will take roughly about 10 minutes. Don’t worry if there is oil sitting on the top, this will combine in one the cheese melts and the sauce has reduced.
Add the cooked pasta to the sauce, tossing to coat. Add additional salt to taste if desired. If you find that the sauce is too thick, add in some more of the pasta water a little at a time to loosen it to desired consistency.
Top with parmesan cheese and fresh parsley if desired and serve.

WHAT IS THE BEST PASTA TO USE?

We use fusilli in this recipe, but you can essentially use any type of pasta that you want. I like to use shorter either tube pasta like penne or spiral like cavatappi as it holds the sauce well.

But we have also made this with penne and fettuccine and it works just fine, it’s just the ease of use and I like that the shorter pasta holds the sauce better.

WHAT KIND OF SUN-DRIED TOMATOES SHOULD I USE?

While you can find various sun-dried tomatoes in the store we use the ones that are packaged/jarred in oil. Some you will find are seasoned, you can use those but they will give a little different flavor.

You can also buy ones that are already cut for you, you can use those if you don’t want to buy the larger ones and cut them yourself, it will save some time in that aspect.

Plus sun-dried tomatoes can be used in so many different dishes and different ways that they are an absolutely delicious addition to any meal.

Then they are packed in oil or water, etc. Like I said you can get some that are marinated as well with different flavors, which you can use.

CAN I ADD MEAT TO THIS PASTA DISH?

If you want to add a protein to this recipe, we like to add chicken every now and again. You can use your favorite baked, grilled or shredded chicken in this and stir it in in the end making sure it is warmed through.

It really adds some flavor to this Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta and gives a little more heft and depth to this recipe. So if you are a chicken fan you can absolutely add it.

CAN I USE MILK OR HALF AND HALF?

No, we do not suggest substituting the heavy cream for milk of half and half in this recipe. It will not get the creamy aspect you will get when using heavy cream, so make sure you stick with that.

HOW TO STORE:

This Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container or a ziptop bag where it will keep for 3-4 days.

We do not recommend freezing this recipe.

TIPS AND TRICKS:

Any pasta can be used, see above for other options.
It’s important to use sun-dried tomatoes in oil. We tried regular ones but they were a bit chewy, the oil really makes all the difference.
Vegetable broth substituted in place of the chicken broth. It will have more of an “earthy” flavor to the final dish.
Chicken can be added to this recipe, see above on how we love to add it!
DO NOT substitute milk or half and half for the heavy cream, the sauce will not get as creamy.
If you do find that your sauce is too thick you can add a bit of the pasta water little by little to get your desired consistency.

Want a delicious and easy recipe to bring to the dinner table that is ready in under 30 minutes? Then this Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta is exactly what you need!

If you like this recipe you might also like:

If you’ve tried this SUN-DRIED TOMATO PASTA or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and what shenanigans I’m getting into!

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER, 2020

Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta