This Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta is packed with sun-dried tomatoes, basil, spinach, and spices. It smells amazing and tastes even better! I’ve added it to rigatoni for a super easy and delicious vegan dinner recipe.
I’m embarrassed to say I don’t think I’d ever eaten sun-dried tomato pesto pasta until recently. I love pesto and make it often, but until now, I hadn’t thought to add sun-dried tomatoes. And, honestly, I might almost like it better than regular pesto!
The flavor reminded me of pizza, and I’m definitely not mad about it! This Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta is a dinner that only takes about 15-20 minutes, but the flavors are so amazing that everyone will be impressed 🙂
What Are Sun-Dried Tomatoes?
Sun-dried tomatoes are just like they sound: fresh tomatoes dried in the sun. They are usually pre-treated with salt or sulfur dioxide to retain their color. You can also make them in the oven by cooking them low and slow.
I’ve seen sun-dried tomatoes jarred and packed in oil and some dried and sold in plastic containers with no oil. I recommend using the oil-packed variety for this recipe. They’re usually more flavorful and not quite as dry.
Why Your Body Will Love This Pesto Dish
- Vitamins and Minerals – Pesto is packed with vitamins A, C, and K, which benefit bone health, immune function, and protection against chronic diseases and blood clotting; it’s also a good source of minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium, and potassium, which can further support various bodily functions. Basil contains essential oils like linalool, eugenol, and citronellol, which fight inflammation and help lower blood pressure.
- Blood Pressure – Spinach is naturally high in nitrates, compounds made of nitrogen and oxygen atoms that occur naturally inside our bodies. Nitrates are also vasodilators, so they help relax and widen blood vessels. This lowers blood pressure and helps keep our hearts healthy.
- Belly Health – Because miso is fermented, it greatly supports gut and digestive health. It’s loaded with B6, also known as folate, which is especially during pregnancy.
Ingredients for Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes – As I said above, I recommend the ones packed in oil for this recipe. I actually use the entire jar, oil and all, which makes it even more flavorful than adding regular olive oil to your pesto.
- Basil – Although the tomatoes are the star of this dish, I wanted to add some fresh basil for a nice summery flavor. I used one cup of fresh basil leaves.
- Spinach – Spinach is not a traditional ingredient in most sun-dried tomato pesto recipes, but if you don’t grow your own basil, it’s much cheaper than buying lots of fresh basil, and it doesn’t add a strong flavor. Kale would also work, but it is slightly more bitter than baby spinach.
- Pine Nuts – Any type of nut will work for this recipe, but I happened to have pine nuts on hand, which are traditional to pesto. I also like to use walnuts, almonds, and macadamia nuts.
- Miso – Miso adds a nice salty flavor but is optional.
- Lemon and Garlic – Fresh lemon juice and garlic add flavor and freshness. You can add as much or as little as you like.
How To Make This Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve about a cup of the pasta liquid, then drain the pasta and add it back to the pot.
- While pasta is cooking, add all remaining ingredients (use the entire jar of sun-dried tomatoes, including the oil) to a food processor and blend until a thick sauce is formed.
- Add the pesto to the pasta, mix together, and slowly add the hot pasta water to thin it out a little bit. I prefer to thin the sauce with pasta water rather than adding extra olive oil.
- Top with fresh basil, tomatoes, and pine nuts, and serve immediately. Salt and pepper to taste.
You can really use this sun-dried tomato pesto recipe any way you like. It would be great on pizza, wrap or sandwich, ravioli, or some nice rigatoni pasta like I have here. Any type of pasta will work great, but I love using the rigatoni in this recipe because it has nice grooves for the pesto to stick to and ensures you will get lots of delicious pesto in each bite 🙂
How To Store The Pesto
The pesto can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. It can also be frozen for up to 6 months. If storing it in the refrigerator or freezing it, I recommend using a glass or plastic container and topping it with olive oil to help keep it nice and fresh. Thaw in the refrigerator or on the counter before using.
Have a question about this recipe? Ask me in the comments, and I’ll get back to you ASAP.
Looking For More Vegan Pasta Recipes?
Avocado Pesto Zucchini Noodles
One Pot Creamy Vegan Caprese Pasta
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Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta is so delicious and flavorful that no one will believe it only took you about 20 minutes to make!
Ingredients
- 1 lb pasta, rigatoni or your favorite kind
- 2 cups packed baby spinach leaves
- 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
- 1 (8 oz) jar sun-dried tomatoes (You will use the entire jar, tomatoes and oil)
- 1/4 cup pinenuts
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- Juice of 1/2 small lemon
- 1 teaspoon light yellow miso paste (optional)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Optional toppings: cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, pine nuts
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve about a cup of the pasta liquid and then drain pasta and add back into the pot.
- While pasta is cooking, add all remaining ingredients (use the entire jar of sun-dried tomatoes, including the oil) to a food processor and blend until a thick sauce is formed.
- Add the pesto to the pasta, mix together and slowly add the hot pasta water to thin it out a little bit. I prefer to thin the sauce with pasta water rather than adding extra olive oil in.
- Top with fresh basil, tomatoes, pine nuts and serve immediately. Salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
If you can’t find a jar of sun-dried tomatoes are have to use the dry ones, you will need to add 1/4-1/3 cup of olive oil to the pesto to help turn it into a sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Category: Dinner, Vegan
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American/Italian
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