Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
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Creamy, cheesy, and packed with flavor! This Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta is loaded with tender pasta, baby spinach, tangy sun-dried tomatoes, and ricotta cheese all tossed in a rich, creamy sauce. Easy enough for weeknights but delicious enough to impress!
In the summer I’m generally looking for light meals but there is one dish I just can’t give up…pasta. I love pasta and can eat it year round, even in the summer heat. I do like to change it up a bit in the summer and use some lighter sauces and fresh produce if I can.
One of our favorites is Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo with fresh vegetables. Whenever we can get fresh corn I make Gnocchi with Corn, Mushrooms, and Bacon. You can’t go wrong with Pasta Primavera because it’s loaded with all your favorite vegetables and you can put as much or as little tomato sauce on top as you’d like.Â
Creamy sun-dried tomato pasta is perfect for summer.  It has sun-dried tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and baby spinach in a creamy ricotta cheese sauce.
Can I use something other than ricotta?
Of course you can. Some of the best substitutes are cream cheese, cottage cheese, or mascarpone cheese. I would also add a bit of Parmesan cheese to these before combining with the sour cream to give it a more cheesy taste.Â
While the ricotta cheese sauce it might be heavy, it’s actually a very light sauce. It’s made with the diced tomatoes, pasta water, ricotta cheese, and sour cream. Â
When I originally made this recipe I made it over spaghetti noodles which was good but I thought a smaller pasta might work out better. This time I used malloreddus which are small, shell shaped pasta.
What pasta shapes work best with this pasta?
I find that smaller pasta that has a hole or ridges works best because it picks up the sauce. My top choices are penne, rotini, shells, or bow tie pasta. Of course you can use longer pasta like spaghetti, fettuccine, or linguini noodles if you prefer.Â
While you can buy sun-dried tomatoes that are packaged in a dry pack, I prefer to go with the oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes. I then use the olive oil from the tomatoes to saute everything for the pasta sauce.Â
Ingredients:
- small pasta noodles
- olive oil
- garlic cloves
- sun-dried tomatoes in oil (or dry packed if you prefer)
- diced tomatoes (I prefer petite diced for this recipe)
- ricotta cheese (or see above for substitutions)
- sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt)
- baby spinach
- salt and pepper
- Italian seasonings
- Parmesan cheese
This pasta dish is easy enough to make for a weeknight meal.  As long as you start the pasta water when you start the sauce everything should be ready in under 20 minutes.Â
The important thing to remember is to reserve some of the pasta water to make the sauce at the end. The first time I made this pasta dish I forgot and had to use regular water which thinned the sauce out way too much.Â
The flavors in the sauce were delicious. It’s a little tangy from the sun-dried tomatoes, has a richness from the ricotta cheese, and an earthiness from the spinach. The green of the spinach really pops in this dish as well so don’t skip it.Â
What can I serve with Sun-dried tomato pasta?
You can serve it with so many different side dishes. Our favorites are:
- a green salad or a Caesar salad
- garlic bread
- cheesy breadsticks
- roasted broccoli or grilled zucchini
- Italian wedding soup
While this is a great vegetarian dish and we enjoy it for meatless Mondays, it’s easy to add a protein on top of it as well. Grilled chicken, Italian sausage, garlic shrimp, or meatballs would be a great addition.Â
How do I store this pasta?
Store it in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.  When ready to reheat add a dollop of ricotta cheese mixed with 1-2 tablespoons of water and mix it into the pasta before reheating in the microwave or on the stove top.Â
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Sun Dried Tomato Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound small shaped pasta
- 1 cup pasta water
- 1 Tablespoon oive oil
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes sliced
- 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1/2 cup low fat sour cream
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasonings
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water, and keep warm.
- In a small bowl combine the sour cream and ricotta cheese. Set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Turn the heat to low and add the tomatoes. Stir well.
- Whisk the ricotta mixture into the mixture in the skillet. Once it has been incorporated raise the heat to medium high and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle in the salt, pepper , and Italian seasonings then add in the baby spinach. Allow the spinach to wilt, about 3 minutes.
- Add the pasta to the skillet and toss to coat. Add in pasta water to thin out the mixture to desired consistency.
- Serve with Parmesan cheese.