Creamy Baked Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
Creamy Baked Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta is a rich and flavorful baked dish that pairs tangy sun-dried tomatoes with a velvety cream sauce and gooey cheese for the ultimate comfort meal. With endless customization options and bold Mediterranean flair, it’s a satisfying crowd-pleaser perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
Creamy Sauce Ingredients
- ▢ ¾ cup sun-dried tomatoes tightly packed and roughly chopped (see Note 1), plus extra for garnish
- ▢ ½ cup fresh basil leaves lightly packed
- ▢ ¼ cup plain yogurt or sour cream optional, see Note 2
- ▢ ¼ cup cream see Note 3
- ▢ 1¾ cups milk low-fat milk works well
- ▢ 1 tablespoon tomato paste optional, see Note 4
- ▢ ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
- ▢ Freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the Pasta
- ▢ 300 g of your preferred pasta penne or ziti recommended
- ▢ 1 tablespoon oil from the sun-dried tomato jar
- ▢ 2 garlic cloves crushed
- ▢ 1 small onion brown, white, or yellow, finely diced
- ▢ 4 cups fresh English spinach tightly packed and finely shredded
Optional for Serving
- ▢ Additional Parmesan cheese
- ▢ Fresh basil finely shredded
Instructions
- Place all the Creamy Sauce ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the salt if needed.
- In a large skillet, heat the sun-dried tomato oil over medium-high heat. Add the crushed garlic and sauté for about 20 seconds until fragrant. Add the diced onion and cook for 3–5 minutes, or until soft and translucent.
- While the onion cooks, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente—tender but still firm to the bite. Before draining, reserve about one mugful of the pasta water, then drain the pasta.
- Add the drained pasta to the skillet with the onions and garlic. Pour in the blended Creamy Sauce, add all the shredded spinach, and about ½ cup of the reserved pasta water (see Note 5). Toss everything together gently to coat the pasta in the sauce and wilt the spinach. Let it cook for about 2 minutes until everything is heated through. Adjust seasoning if needed.
- Use more of the reserved pasta water, a little at a time, to loosen the sauce to your desired consistency.
- Remove from heat and serve immediately, topped with extra Parmesan and fresh basil, if using.