Sun Dried Tomato Pasta

This rich and creamy vegan sun-dried tomato pasta recipe is a quick and easy weeknight meal the whole family will love! And it takes under 20 minutes to cook!

I love pasta, and the creamier, the better. This sun-dried tomato pasta recipe is so easy, and it only takes 20 minutes from start to finish. This vegan sun-dried tomato pasta recipe contains whole-grain rigatoni, sun-dried tomatoes, shallots, garlic, spinach, and fresh basil in a creamy nut-free sauce.

Jump to:

• Whole Grain Pastas
• Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Ingredients
• Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Ingredient Substitutions
• How to Make Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
• Serving Suggestions
• Recipe FAQs
• Tips
• Vegan Recipes You Must Try!
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• 💬 Reviews

Whole Grain Pastas

Despite its bad reputation, whole grain pasta possesses high nutritional content.

Whole-grain pasta is typically high in fiber, manganese, selenium, copper, and phosphorus.

Whole-grain pasta is also lower in calories and higher in fiber and certain micronutrients than refined pasta.

Fiber moves through the gastrointestinal tract undigested and helps promote fullness. For this reason, whole-grain pasta may be more effective than refined pasta in reducing appetite and cravings.

Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Ingredients

• Whole-Grain Rigatoni: Whole-grain rigatoni is made of unrefined wheat flour and contains iron, magnesium, and zinc. A 2-ounce serving of whole wheat pasta contains 180 calories, 39g of carbs, 8g of protein, and 7g of fiber.
• Sun-Dried Tomatoes: I use dehydrated sun-dried tomatoes, not the ones in oil.
• Garlic: I prefer fresh garlic cloves when possible for the best flavor.
• Vegetable Broth: The vegetable broth makes the cream sauce; it has immense flavor when combined with the other ingredients.
• Shallots: Shallots have a delicate and sweet flavor with a hint of sharpness, while onions bring a more intense heat.
• Italian Seasoning: The blend of herbs in Italian seasoning usually consists of basil, oregano, and rosemary.
• Red Pepper Flakes: Crushed red pepper or red pepper flakes is a condiment or spice consisting of dried and crushed (as opposed to ground) red chili peppers. Although this is a spicy ingredient, it enhances the flavors in the sauce and is not spicy. However, if you are sensitive to spice, add a smaller amount, taste, and adjust for personal preference.
• Spinach: I used baby organic spinach. Spinach is on the dirty dozens list, so I always buy organic.
• Oat Flour: I used oat flour as a thickener for the creamy sauce.
• Oat Milk: I chose unsweetened, unflavored oat milk because oat milk is naturally creamy.
• Nutritional Yeast: The nutritional yeast is used as a secondary thickener and to give the sauce a cheesy, savory flavor.
• Basil: I used fresh basil added at the end before serving.

Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Ingredient Substitutions

• Choose any whole-grain noodle shape.Or use gluten-free noodles for a gluten-free option.
• Use fire-roasted canned tomatoes or roasted red peppers instead of sun-dried tomatoes.
• One clove of garlic equals about ⅛th of a teaspoon of garlic powder.
• Substitute vegetable broth with Yondu mixed with water.
• Try leeks, or yellow onions instead of shallots.
• Collard greens, kale, or escarole replace spinach.
• Make Italian seasoning by combining basil, oregano, and rosemary. Or choose your favorite spice blend.
• Cayenne pepper is an excellent substitute for red pepper flakes. Or, if you don't like spicy, omit this ingredient.
• Any flour works well with this recipe.
• Any unsweetened, unflavored plant milk works well.
• Miso paste or soy sauce often provides the same umami flavor as nutritional yeast.
• One tablespoon of fresh herbs roughly equals one teaspoon of dried herbs. So, for example, if a recipe calls for one tablespoon of fresh basil, you need only one teaspoon of dried basil (or other herbs!)

How to Make Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta

• Since I used dehydrated sun-dried tomatoes, I chopped them dry and rehydrated them in boiling water to make them soft.
• This process only takes a few minutes, but it helps to ensure the tomatoes cook perfectly with the other pasta ingredients.

• Once the sun-dried tomatoes are rehydrated, drain them, add them to a skillet, and saute with garlic and shallots.
• In a separate pan, cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain in a colander and set aside.
• In the meantime, combine the plant milk, flour, and nutritional yeast and blend in a high-speed blender.
• Set aside.

• Add the vegetable broth and stir to remove any cooked bits and pieces of the shallots, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes.

• Once the sauce thickens, add the raw baby spinach.
• As the spinach wilts, it becomes a part of the sauce.

• Lastly, add the cooked pasta and stir in the fresh chopped basil.
• Stir to combine.

Serving Suggestions

• Add additional vegetables of choice.
• I served it with vegan garlic bread made from sourdough bread I bought from Costco.
• Garnish with additional fresh basil or add parsley for a secondary fresh taste.
• Sprinkle with additional red pepper flakes if you want it a little spicier.
• Whenever I make pasta, I always serve it with a large green salad. I suggest Mango Salad, Italian Chopped Salad, or Chopped Kale Salad.

Recipe FAQs

Tips

• If using dehydrated sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil), they need to soak in hot water before adding to the pan. I suggest chopping them first, then adding hem to boiling water. Allow sitting for 5 minutes before draining.
• Always salt the water before cooking pasta.
• Bring the water to a steady boil before adding the dry pasta.
• Start by rehydrating the sun-dried tomatoes and cooking the pasta while sauteing the garlic and shallots.
• Drain the tomatoes in a colander before adding them to the shallots and garlic.
• Consider topping with vegan parmesan cheese as an added cheesy garnish.
• The pasta will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• Place the pasta in a microwave and use the 'reheat' option to reheat the pasta. If the pasta appears dry, add a small amount of vegetable broth.

This vegan sun-dried tomato pasta recipe is savory and delicious. Enjoy this quick and easy recipe in under 20 minutes this week.

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