This fast and easy Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta recipe comes together in the time it takes to cook the pasta! Sun-dried tomatoes, pine nuts, basil, garlic and parmesan cheese add textures and flavors reminiscent of pesto pasta.
In a large pot of boiling, generously salted water, cook the penne until al dente, according to package instructions. Just before the pasta is finished, use a ladle or liquid measuring cup to carefully reserve about 1/4 cup of pasta water. Set aside. Drain the pasta and rinse with water to prevent sticking.
While the pasta is cooking, place the sun-dried tomatoes on a paper towel-lined plate to drain off some of the excess oil, gently patting the tops dry (the oil doesn't need to be completely removed, but the tomatoes shouldn't be swimming in it). Coarsely chop the tomatoes and set aside.
Melt the butter in medium-sized skillet over low heat. Add the pine nuts and cook, stirring frequently, until they smell fragrant and are just starting to brown, 4-5 minutes. You can adjust the heat to medium-low to speed up the process, but be careful to avoid burning the nuts and/or butter.
Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the garlic. Continue stirring for 1 minute; the residual heat will cook the garlic.
Transfer the pasta to a large bowl. Stir the sun-dried tomatoes, pine nut mixture, parmesan cheese, and basil, adding small splashes of pasta water to help bring the ingredients together. Make sure not to leave any of that nutty, garlic-infused butter behind in the skillet; scrape it all into the pasta. If it feels like the ingredients are clumping, you can optionally add some or all of the olive oil for additional slip.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide into serving bowls, garnish with additional parmesan and basil before serving.
Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
Oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes are either sold plain or with Italian seasonings. Either will work in this recipe, but I especially like using the seasoned tomatoes when I have them. I recommend using a microplane zester to grate the cheese extremely fine. It will melt into the pasta. If you don’t have one, use the finest setting on a box grater.Time Saving Tips: prepare the ingredients and cook the pine nut mixture while the pasta is boiling.More Pasta Recipes: If you enjoy this recipe, you may also like my Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta, Sausage Mushroom Pasta, and Cheesy Spinach and Artichoke Pasta!