Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
A rich and flavor packed creamy sun-dried tomato pasta with garlic, parmesan, spinach and lemon. Pure comfort in a bowl and ready in just 20 minutes.
Servings: 2 people
Ingredients
- 200 grams dried pasta (or 300 grams fresh)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves finely diced
- ½ cup packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped, see notes
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 40 grams parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 cups baby spinach leaves
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Boil the pasta in well-salted water, reserving 1 cup of pasta water before draining. Undercook dried pasta by 1 minute so it finishes cooking in the sauce.
- Heat the olive oil (or oil from the sun-dried tomato jar) in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook gently for 1-2 minutes, without letting it brown.
- Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the tomato paste and cook for a further minute, stirring continuously.
- Add the cream and black pepper. Bring to a very gentle simmer, lowering the heat so it barely bubbles.
- Add the parmesan in two separate additions, allowing it to melt into the sauce between each one.
- Add the cooked pasta with ¼ cup pasta water and the lemon juice and toss well. Let it gently bubble for 1-2 minutes to thicken, tossing continously. The sauce will continue to thicken off the heat, so keep it on the saucy side in the pan.
- Season to taste, then toss the spinach through, let it wilt slightly and serve straight away.
- Top with extra grated parmesan and some lemon zest if you wish.
Notes
Sun-dried tomatoes - I prefer sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil as they are softer and more flavorful. Use a tablespoon of the oil from the jar in place of olive oil, if you like.
Flavor boost option - Puree half the sun-dried tomatoes first.
Pasta - Fresh or dried pasta both work well and use any shape you like! For two people I use 200 grams of dried or 300 grams fresh.
Sauce texture Cream sauces thicken significantly off the heat, so keep the sauce looser than you think in the pan. Add more pasta water as needed.
Salt - Sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan are both salty, so taste the finished sauce before adding any extra salt.
Lemon juice - Totally optional but it does really cut through the richness of the sauce well. Keep the heat low and mix it in quickly.