Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
Blog,Budget Bites,Dinner |
April 18, 2023
5/5 - (1 vote)

$4.22 RECIPE / $1.06 SERVING

I adore one-pot pasta dishes, and I know a lot of you do as well.

They’re quick, simple, and flavorful, plus they only require one small dish to clean at the end.

Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta has become my go-to comfort food for me. For a simple but luxurious Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta, I combined the tangy flavor of sun-dried tomatoes with garlic and Parmesan.

CAN I MAKE A CREAM CHEESE SUBSTITUTE?

Cream cheese is excellent for smoothing out milk-based sauces and assisting cheese in melting without becoming clumsy. You can replace half of the milk with heavy cream if you can’t stand cream cheese.

This helps the Parmesan emulsify correctly by reducing the amount of water in the sauce.

CAN I INCLUDE MEAT?

Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta, One-Pot
Food: Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta, One-Pot
Source: Plating + Pairings

This dish is highly adaptable and can be prepared with or without beef. If you want to include chicken, cut it up and sauté it with the garlic in the skillet at the start, or simply add sliced grilled chicken to the final pasta.

This sun-dried tomato spaghetti would also be good with Italian sausage. Simply brown it in the skillet with the garlic at the beginning. Bacon would also be delicious.

Before proceeding with the recipe, brown the bacon in the skillet before adding the garlic and draining any extra grease.

COOKING TIPS FOR CREAMY SUN-DRIED TOMATO PASTA:

It takes some practice to get Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta just right, so if you’re having difficulties, try these tips:

  • To keep the pasta from adhering to the bottom of the pot or to itself, stir every few minutes.
  • After the pot has reached a boil, reduce the heat to low or slightly above low to keep the liquid simmering. The pasta will not cook if the liquid is not simmering. Depending on your stovetop and cookware, you may need to adjust the temperature.
  • Use a sturdy skillet. Thin-bottomed skillets and pots do not heat uniformly and do not produce good results when using the one-pot cooking method because certain portions of the pot will be boiling while others will not.
  • When not stirring, keep the lid on at all times. This traps the steam and ensures that the pasta cooks evenly.
  • Keep an eye on the spaghetti. It’s a little like riding a bike when it comes to one-pot pasta. You must constantly monitor and adjust. Add a little extra water if the liquid is almost completely absorbed before the pasta is tender. Allow it to boil without a lid for the last few minutes if the pasta is almost done but there is still a lot of liquid.

CREAMY SUN-DRIED TOMATO PASTA

This Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta takes about 30 minutes to prepare and requires only one pot. The ideal quick and filling weeknight meal!
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 30 mins
Servings: 4

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes ($1.66)
  • 2 Tbsp. butter ($0.26)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced ($0.16)
  • 8 oz. fettuccine ($0.67)
  • 1/2 tsp dried basil ($0.05)
  • Freshly cracked pepper ($0.05)
  • 2 cups chicken broth* ($0.26)
  • 2 oz. cream cheese ($0.30)
  • 1 cup whole milk ($0.37)
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan ($0.44)

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Slice the sun-dried tomatoes into small bite-size pieces.
  2. In a big skillet or Dutch oven, melt the butter and garlic. Over medium heat, sauté the garlic for about one minute, or until it is fragrant.
  3. In a skillet, combine the fettuccine, sun-dried tomatoes, dried basil, freshly cracked pepper, and chicken broth. Break the fettuccine in half if necessary to ensure it lays flat in the skillet and is well submerged in the liquid.
  4. Cover the skillet with a lid and bring the broth to a boil over high heat. Give the pasta a thorough stir as soon as it comes to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to low or the lowest setting that maintains a simmer.
  5. Allow the paste to simmer in the liquid for 7-10 minutes, or until the broth is mostly absorbed and the pasta is soft, stirring every few minutes and always replacing the lid.
  6. Cut the cream cheese into bits and toss it into the spaghetti while keeping the heat low. Add the milk and stir until a smooth sauce emerges after the cream cheese has melted. Finally, sprinkle the grated Parmesan on top and mix to incorporate it into the sauce. If desired, top with additional freshly cracked pepper.

NOTES

*I prepare my broth with Better Than Bouillon soup base.

NUTRITION IN CREAMY SUN-DRIED TOMATO PASTA

  • Serving: 1 serving
  • Calories: 387.6 kcal
  • Carbohydrates: 51.9 g
  • Protein: 13.5 g
  • Fat: 14.68 g
  • Sodium: 651.33 mg
  • Fiber: 2.75 g

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING CREAMY SUN-DRIED TOMATO PASTA

Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
Food: Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
Source: Plating + Pairings
  1. 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped Instead of a few larger chunks throughout, you want a little bit in each bite. I made this recipe with dry, non-oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes because they are easier to deal with and store (no refrigeration needed).
  2. In a deep skillet or Dutch oven, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 garlic cloves, minced. Over medium heat, sauté the garlic for about 1 minute, or until tender and aromatic.
  3. In a large skillet, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, freshly cracked pepper, 8 ounces fettuccine, and 2 cups chicken broth. If your skillet or Dutch oven is too small to fit the spaghetti flat and submerged in the broth, break it in half (I ended up breaking mine in half just after this photo).
  4. Bring the broth to a boil in a covered skillet over high heat. Replace the cover and reduce the heat to low, or the lowest temperature that maintains a simmer, as soon as it reaches a boil. Continue to cook the pasta for another 7-10 minutes, stirring every few minutes and replacing the lid, or until the pasta is soft and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Add a bit of additional water if the pasta begins to dry up while cooking. When the pasta is done, there should still be some thick saucy sauce in the skillet.
  5. 2 ounces cream cheese, chopped (still over low heat). Before adding the milk, add the cream cheese to help settle the sauce and prevent curdling.
  6. Add 1 cup of milk and whisk to incorporate after the cream cheese has melted into the pasta.
  7. Finally, over the pasta, sprinkle 1/4 cup grated Parmesan and stir until it melts into the sauce (the pasta is still over low heat).
  8. You now have a creamy, slightly sour sun-dried tomato pasta in cream sauce!

If preferred, add extra freshly cracked pepper to the pasta before serving.