Spinach Sundried Tomato Pasta
Short pasta is tossed with a quick homemade sun-dried tomato pesto and fresh baby spinach for a fast weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces short pasta like gemelli or penne, 450 g
- 1 jar oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes 8.5 ounces / 240 g
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves packed, plus more for garnish, 20 g
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups fresh baby spinach packed, 45 g
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving, 25 g
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente.
- Place the sun-dried tomatoes with their oil, garlic, basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper in a food processor.
- Pulse the mixture until it forms a thick paste, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Scoop out 1 cup (240 ml) of the starchy pasta water before draining the pasta.
- Return the drained pasta to the warm pot off the heat.
- Add the sun-dried tomato paste, baby spinach, and the reserved pasta water to the pot.
- Stir the mixture continuously until the spinach wilts and the sauce coats the noodles.
- Stir in the Parmesan cheese and serve warm with extra basil and cheese.
Notes
If your food processor is struggling to blend the sun-dried tomatoes, add a tablespoon of warm water to help it along.
Keep an eye on the pasta water as it boils. You want it to be very starchy, so try not to use an excessive amount of water in the pot.