Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta (Print Version)

A flavorful pasta tossed with sun-dried tomato pesto, fresh basil, and Parmesan cheese for a simple Mediterranean twist.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 14 oz dried pasta (penne, fusilli, or spaghetti)

→ Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

02 - 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained (reserve 2 tbsp oil)
03 - 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
04 - 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts or walnuts
05 - 2 garlic cloves
06 - 1 cup fresh basil leaves
07 - 2 tbsp reserved sun-dried tomato oil
08 - 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
09 - Juice of 1/2 lemon
10 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

→ To Serve

11 - Fresh basil leaves for garnish
12 - Extra grated Parmesan cheese

# Steps to Follow:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta following package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
02 - In a food processor, combine sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan, pine nuts, garlic, and basil. Pulse until finely chopped.
03 - Add reserved sun-dried tomato oil, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth, scraping the sides as needed. If too thick, incorporate 1-2 tablespoons reserved pasta water to loosen.
04 - Toss the drained pasta with the sun-dried tomato pesto in a large bowl, adding more pasta water as necessary to achieve a silky consistency.
05 - Serve immediately, garnished with fresh basil leaves and additional grated Parmesan cheese.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • The deep, almost smoky richness of sun-dried tomatoes makes this feel far more sophisticated than the thirty minutes it takes.
  • Your kitchen will smell like Italy, and the sauce comes together so quickly you'll wonder why you haven't made it a dozen times already.
  • It's the kind of pasta that tastes like you've been cooking all day, even when you've barely lifted a finger.
02 -
  • Don't process your pesto into oblivion—those slight irregularities in texture are what make it taste alive and interesting, not sterile and commercial.
  • Pasta water is your secret weapon; it's starchy and salty and creates the magic that makes sauce actually stick to noodles instead of sliding right off.
  • Let the pesto breathe for a moment before you add it to the hot pasta; if it sits for even two minutes, the flavors settle and become more complex.
03 -
  • Make your pesto while the pasta water comes to a boil so that everything is ready at exactly the same moment, and you're not standing around with warm pasta getting gummy or a pesto getting oxidized and dark.
  • If you end up with leftover pesto, store it in the refrigerator under a thin layer of olive oil; it keeps for almost a week and works on everything from grilled fish to scrambled eggs to fresh ricotta on toast.
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