This creamy sun-dried tomato pasta is ready in under 15 minutes, and is the perfect creamy, easy pasta recipe for low-effort dinners. It’s vegetarian-friendly, easy to make vegan, and a great base for a range of toppings.
This simple sub-dried tomato pasta is great served with a side of greens, like these roasted green beans or garlic runner beans.
For more sun-dried tomato recipes, try these sun-dried tomato roast potatoes with basil whipped feta, this Marry Me “chicken” vegan pasta, and these Marry Me butter beans.
Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this page for the exact ingredient quantities and instructions.
Below I’ve added a few notes on the ingredients you’ll need along with some potential substitutions and variations.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Sun-dried tomatoes are typically found in glass jars (I look for them in the condiment aisle at my supermarket!). They’re stored in oil, which is perfect for using to saute your onion and garlic.
- Onion & Garlic: Diced onion and minced garlic form the base of this pasta dish.
- Tomato Paste: A small amount of tomato paste helps to elevate the tomato flavors of the pasta sauce – you could also use some chopped cherry tomatoes instead.
- Seasonings: For this recipe, I added smoked paprika, dried oregano, and salt and pepper. If you like a bit of spice, add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes too.
- Pine Nuts: Pine nuts give this pasta sauce a savory, nutty flavors. Cashew nuts are another fabulous option you could use.
- Vegetable Stock: I use a salt-free vegetable stock cube mixed with boiling water for this recipe. You could use chicken stock if you’re not vegetarian. If you have a salted stock cube, consider lessening the amount of salt you add.
- Light Cream Cheese: A large dollop of lighter cream cheese gives this pasta sauce a delicious creamy texture. You could also use a splash of double cream or some coconut cream to make this recipe plant-based.
- Pasta: I love rigatoni pasta for my sun-dried tomato pasta, but any pasta shape would work! I think linguine or tagliatelle would be great options.
- Toppings: I topped my pasta with some mozzarella, which I then grilled until golden and melted. This is optional, but great for making the pasta that bit more indulgent and creamy! I also added lots of fresh shredded basil for freshness. A scattering of red pepper flakes and some lemon zest would also be great.
How To Make Your Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
Here’s a quick overview of how to make this sun-dried tomato pasta so you can see how quickly it comes together!
Step 1) Cook Your Pasta
First off, get your pasta cooking according to the package instructions (it should take 10 – 12 minutes). Make sure you reserve about 1/2 cup (125ml) of the starchy pasta water before draining the pasta.
Step 2) Saute the Onion, Garlic, & Sun-Dried Tomato
Next, heat your oil in a pan and saute the diced onion, followed by your minced garlic and diced sun-dried tomato. You should saute the onion alone for at least 2-3 minutes until it begins to soften before adding the other ingredients.
Step 3) Add Tomato Paste, Seasonings, Pine Nuts
Add your tomato paste, the pine nuts, and your seasonings. Stir them all together, and then use a hand blender to blitz the ingredients into a paste. The sauce should resemble a pesto.
Step 4) Pour in the Vegetable Stock & Cream Cheese
Pour in the vegetable stock, stirring it into a sauce, and then add the lighter cream cheese. Stir until it’s melted into a creamy, smooth sauce, and then tip in the cooked pasta.
Step 5) Top with Mozzarella & Basil
Top the sun-dried tomato pasta with your sliced mozzarella, and grill for 4-5 minutes until the cheese has melted and turned golden brown. Top with fresh basil and serve!
Expert Tips
- Skip the blender for a more chunky pasta sauce – it will still taste delicious! If the sauce seems a little thin, you could stir in 1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp water to create a cornflour slurry.
- Add red pepper flakes for a spicier version of this recipe.
Storage
Store any leftover sun-dried tomato pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Reheat in the microwave until piping hot.
Serving
This dish is delicious if served alone, or you could add your protein of choice to make it a more balanced meal.
Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
This creamy, flavorful sun-dried tomato pasta is so easy to make, and the perfect summer dinner. It's a rich, creamy pasta sauce perfect served with fresh basil and mozzarella.
Ingredients
- 1 white onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 6-7 sun-dried tomatoes
- 2 tbsp oil from the sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 200ml vegetable stock
- 2 tbsp lighter cream cheese
- 300g rigatoni pasta
- 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves
- (optional) 50g fresh mozzarella
Instructions
- Finely dice your onion and sun-dried tomatoes, and mince your garlic.
- Start your pasta cooking according to the package instructions.
- Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onions, saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes.
- Cook for another minute, then add the tomato paste, pine nuts, and seasonings. Stir everything together, then use a stick blender to blend the ingredients into a sauce (it will resemble a chunky red pesto).
- Pour in the vegetable stock, stirring it into the paste to create a smooth red sauce, and add the cream cheese.
- Tip in your cooked pasta along with 2 tbsp of the starchy pasta water, and stir to fully coat the pasta.
- If using mozzarella, layer the slices on top of your pasta, and grill it for 3-4 minutes until golden and bubbly.
- Top with the fresh basil leaves and serve immediately!
Notes
Cashew nuts are a great alternative instead of pine nuts, giving the sauce a creamy texture. You could use coconut cream instead of cream cheese to make this recipe vegan friendly, too.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 3 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 497Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 1088mgCarbohydrates: 56gFiber: 5gSugar: 6gProtein: 15g