Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta (Bold, Garlicky & Ready in 25 Minutes)

Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 25 minutes | Servings: 4 | Calories: 510 kcal per serving

Sun-dried tomato pasta is tender pasta tossed in a rich, garlicky sauce built from concentrated sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan, and a generous splash of pasta water that ties everything together into something silky and deeply savory. The tomatoes are intensely sweet and slightly chewy. The sauce coats every strand. Every bite is bold, satisfying, and full of flavor.

This is the pasta that uses pantry staples and tastes as you planned it all week. Sun-dried tomatoes do the heavy lifting. The oil they are packed in becomes the base of the sauce. Nothing goes to waste.

Five minutes to prep. Twenty minutes at the stove. One pan for the sauce, one pot for the pasta. Dinner is done.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

Sun-dried tomato pasta earns a permanent spot in your weeknight repertoire. Here is what makes this recipe worth making.

The ingredients are always on hand. Sun-dried tomatoes in a jar, garlic, Parmesan, pasta, olive oil. No last-minute grocery runs. No fresh produce that spoils before you get to it.

The oil from the jar is liquid gold. Sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil are already infused with flavor. That oil goes directly into the pan and becomes the foundation of the entire sauce.

It is faster than it tastes. Twenty-five minutes from start to finish. The result tastes like something that simmered for hours.

The pasta water is the secret. Starchy pasta water emulsifies the sauce and makes it cling to every piece of pasta. Do not skip saving it before you drain.

It is endlessly adaptable. Add vegetables, swap the pasta shape, and make it spicy or mild. The core method stays the same and works every time.

Ingredients

For the pasta:

• 400 g (14 oz) pasta — rigatoni, penne, spaghetti, or linguine
• 1 tablespoon salt (for the pasta water)

For the sauce:

• 1 jar (280g) sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained — reserve 3 tablespoons of the oil
• 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ cup (120ml) vegetable broth
• ¾ cup (75g) Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, plus more to serve
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Salt and black pepper to taste

For finishing:

• Large handful of fresh basil leaves, torn
• Extra Parmesan for the table
• Drizzle of good olive oil (optional)

Equipment Needed

• Large pot for boiling pasta
• Large deep skillet or wide saucepan
• Wooden spoon or silicone spatula
• Sharp knife and cutting board
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Ladle for pasta water
• Colander

Instructions

Step 1: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt. The water should taste like the sea. Under-salted pasta water produces flat-tasting pasta, no matter how good the sauce is.

Step 2: Drain the sun-dried tomatoes and reserve 3 tablespoons of the packing oil. Roughly chop the tomatoes into smaller pieces. This helps them distribute evenly through the sauce.

Step 3: Heat the reserved sun-dried tomato oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 5 minutes until soft and translucent.

Step 4: Add the sliced garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano, and smoked paprika. Cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly. The garlic should be fragrant and just barely golden. Watch it closely — burned garlic ruins the sauce.

Step 5: Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes to the pan. Stir to combine with the garlic and onion. Cook for 2 minutes, pressing the tomatoes gently with the back of the spoon to help them break down slightly.

Step 6: Pour in the vegetable broth. Stir and let it simmer for 3–4 minutes until slightly reduced.

Step 7: Cook the pasta according to package instructions until just shy of al dente — about 1 minute less than the package says. The pasta will finish cooking in the sauce.

Step 8: Before draining, scoop out at least 1 full cup of pasta water and set it aside. This step is non-negotiable. The starch in that water is what makes the sauce silky.

Step 9: Drain the pasta and add it directly to the skillet with the sauce. Add the butter and ½ cup of the reserved pasta water.

Step 10: Toss everything together vigorously over medium heat for 2 minutes. The sauce should thicken, cling to the pasta, and look glossy. Add more pasta water a splash at a time if the sauce looks too thick or dry.

Step 11: Remove the pan from the heat. Add the grated Parmesan and toss until fully melted and incorporated. The residual heat is enough — adding Parmesan over direct heat can make it clump.

Step 12: Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.

Step 13: Serve immediately in warm bowls. Scatter torn fresh basil on top. Finish with extra Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil if desired.

@/jessicainthekitchen

Substitutes & Swaps

Sun-dried tomatoes in oil: Dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes work — rehydrate them in warm water for 15 minutes before using. Use olive oil to sauté instead of the packing oil.

Parmesan: Pecorino Romano gives a sharper, saltier result. Nutritional yeast works for a dairy-free version — use 4 tablespoons.

Vegetable broth: Pasta water alone works in a pinch. A splash of cream works for a richer sauce.

Butter: Olive oil works for a fully dairy-free version. The sauce will be slightly less silky but still excellent.

Rigatoni or penne: Any pasta shape works. Ridged shapes like rigatoni and penne hold the chunky sauce best. Long pasta like spaghetti or linguine works beautifully too. Avoid very thin pasta like angel hair — the sauce is too bold for it.

Fresh basil: Fresh parsley or fresh oregano work as finishing herbs.

Variations

Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta: Add ½ cup heavy cream or cream cheese after the broth. Let it simmer into a blush sauce before adding pasta. Luxurious and rich.

Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta with Spinach: Add two large handfuls of fresh spinach directly to the skillet when you add the pasta. Toss until wilted. Color, nutrition, and no extra work.

Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta with Roasted Vegetables: Add roasted zucchini, bell peppers, or eggplant on top when serving. The sweetness of the roasted vegetables plays beautifully against the intense tomatoes.

Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta with White Beans: Stir in one drained can of white beans with the broth. Hearty, protein-rich, and completely satisfying.

Spicy Arrabbiata-Style: Double the red pepper flakes. Add a teaspoon of chili oil at the finish. Bold and fiery.

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta: Blend half the sun-dried tomatoes with garlic, Parmesan, olive oil, and a handful of basil into a rough pesto. Toss with pasta and use the remaining chopped tomatoes on top for texture.

Tips & Tricks

Salt the pasta water generously. It should taste pleasantly salty, like well-seasoned broth. This is your only opportunity to season the pasta itself from the inside. Everything else is surface seasoning.

Use the oil from the jar. Sun-dried tomato packing oil is already deeply flavored with tomato, herbs, and garlic. Using it as the base of your sauce adds a layer of flavor that plain olive oil simply cannot replicate.

Chop the sun-dried tomatoes. Whole pieces are too large and chunky in the finished dish. A rough chop gives you pieces that distribute evenly, get into every bite, and partially break down into the sauce.

Cook pasta to just under al dente. It finishes in the sauce. Overcooked pasta going into a hot pan becomes mushy. Pull it one minute early every time.

Save more pasta water than you think you need. You may not use it all, but running out mid-toss is a problem. A full cup, at minimum. Two cups are even safer.

Toss vigorously. The emulsification of pasta water, butter, and Parmesan happens through movement and heat. Toss the pasta actively for a full two minutes. Do not just stir. The motion creates the glossy, clingy sauce.

Add Parmesan to the heat. Direct high heat makes Parmesan seize and clump. Remove the pan from the burner before stirring in the cheese. The residual heat melts it perfectly.

Nutrition Information (Per Serving)

Nutrient	Amount
Calories	510 kcal
Total Fat	18g
Saturated Fat	6g
Carbohydrates	72g
Fibre	5g
Sugars	6g
Protein	17g
Sodium	520mg

Nutrition is based on one serving made with rigatoni, sun-dried tomatoes in oil, Parmesan, butter, and vegetable broth, without optional toppings.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can I use fresh tomatoes instead of sun-dried?

The flavor profile will be completely different. Fresh tomatoes are bright and light. Sun-dried tomatoes are concentrated, sweet, and intense. They are not interchangeable in this recipe. If you only have fresh tomatoes, roast them first at high heat to concentrate the flavor before using.

My sauce looks dry and is not clinging to the pasta. What do I do?

Add pasta water. Add it a splash at a time while tossing over medium heat until the sauce becomes glossy and coats the pasta. This is always the fix for a dry pasta sauce.

Can I make the sauce ahead?

Yes. Make the sauce through step 6, cool completely, and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. When ready to serve, reheat the sauce, cook fresh pasta, and finish the dish from step 7 onward.

How do I store and reheat leftovers?

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet over low heat with a splash of water or broth to loosen the sauce. Stir gently and serve as soon as it is hot. Avoid the microwave on high heat — it dries the pasta out.

Can I make this gluten-free?

Yes. Use your preferred gluten-free pasta. The sauce itself contains no gluten. Cook gluten-free pasta carefully — it can go from underdone to overdone quickly, so check it early.

What pasta shape works best?

Ridged, tubular shapes like rigatoni and penne are ideal. They trap pieces of sun-dried tomato inside and hold the sauce in their ridges. Spaghetti and linguine work well, too. The chunky sauce clings beautifully to both short and long pasta shapes.

Can I add cream to make it richer?

Yes. Add ½ cup of heavy cream or a few tablespoons of cream cheese after the broth reduces. Let it simmer for 2 minutes before adding the pasta. The result is a blush cream sauce that is deeply rich and slightly softer in flavor.

The Pasta That Lives in Your Pantry

No fresh produce required. No complicated technique. Just a jar that has been sitting in your cupboard and twenty-five minutes on a weeknight. The sun-dried tomatoes bring everything — sweetness, depth, intensity, and color. The pasta water brings the silky sauce. The Parmesan brings it all home.

Make it tonight. Make it again next week when you have nothing fresh in the house. Make it for guests who will not believe it came from a pantry.

It is the pasta that reminds you that the best meals do not always require a trip to the market.

Made this sun-dried tomato pasta? Tell me in the comments what shape you used and whether you added anything to the sauce. I want to know every variation you tried.