This Penne Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto is quick and easy to make and sure to be a hit with family and friends!
Honestly, I love pasta. I mean absolutely, positively, completely love it.
I know they say home is where the heart is. Quite frankly I think they should change that saying to "home is where the carbs are". At least for me.
For me, there's nothing better for a gathering of friends and family than putting a family style dish of pasta on the table. Everyone can dig right in and help themselves. It's a great way to serve pasta, a little less formal and stuffy than some alternatives.
We piled the pasta on an old silver platter and we just dug right into it. That's the way Italian food should be served if you ask me.
Just to clarify, I use my food processor for making this pesto. What I like about using the food processor, as opposed to other techniques, is that it's easy to adjust the oil as you go.
It's also a fast way to make pesto, not a lot of monkeying around when you use a food processor.
When you combine the pesto with the cooked noodles remember that tossing is your best friend. You want to toss, then toss again, and toss some more.
Then, when you think you're about done with the tossing, give it another toss just to be sure. This will ensure the noodles are evenly coated with pesto, or sauce if you happen to be using sauce instead.
So toss, toss, then toss some more, toss again till you can't toss any more. Â Then you're good to serve this up on platter.
Ingredient Notes:
- Pasta - Use dried penne or mini penne noodles.
- Sun Dried Tomatoes - These are bought in jars and are packed in oil.
- Garlic - Use fresh garlic if possible.
- Spices - I used salt, white pepper, and sweet basil for this pasta. You can add oregano as well.
- Cheese - Use good quality parmesan cheese.
- Nuts - I used walnuts for the pesto.
- Oil - Olive oil helps give the pesto an amazing texture.
How to Make Penne Pasta with Sun Dried Tomato Pesto:
- First, fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add salt to the water.
- Then, add the dried pasta and cook for 1 minute less than the package recommends.
- Reserve 1 cup of pasta water for later.
- Meanwhile, add the sun-dried tomatoes, oil from the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, salt, white pepper, basil, half of the parmesan cheese, and walnuts to the food processor. Pulse till smooth. If it's too thick add more oil.
- Transfer the pesto to the skillet or non-stick pan and cook over medium heat. Add the cooked noodles. Toss or use a tongs to keep the pasta moving as it heats up.
- Next, add about half the pasta water to the skillet or non-stick pan and allow to cook until everything comes together. You can add the rest of the pasta water if you want to change the consistency of the pasta.
- Transfer the pasta to a serving bowl or tray.
- Grate more parmesan over top of the pasta.
- Serve!
More Dinner Recipes:
- Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Easy Cheesy Pasta Bake with Sausage and Peppers
- Greek Chicken Orzo Power Bowls
- American Chop Suey
- Saucy Mozzarella Chicken Bake
- 30 Minutes Chicken Vegetable Skillet Pasta
- One Pot Pasta with Sausage, Peppers and Apples
- Easy Chili Cornbread Casserole
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Penne with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
Ingredients
- 1 lb penne pasta
- 10 oz sun-dried tomatoes in oil
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch white pepper
- 2 tsp dried sweet basil you can use fresh
- ½ cup parmesan cheese divided
- ¼ cup walnuts
- ¼ olive oil more or less depending how thick or thin you like your pesto
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with water and place over medium-high heat on the stove. Bring the water to a boil. Add salt generously. Add pasta and cook for 1 minute less than the package directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water in case you want to add it to the dish later. Set that aside.
- While the pasta noodles are cooking you can toss your sun-dried tomatoes, the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes, the garlic, salt, white pepper, sweet basil, half of the parmesan cheese, and walnuts in a food processor. Pulse until smooth. If the mixture is still too thick add a touch of olive oil to start and pulse while adding the oil until you get the desired consistency you like. It's always best to start with a little, you can always add more but you can't take away. So go easy initially and add oil to taste if needed.
- Transfer pesto to a large skillet or non-stick pan and heat on medium heat just before adding the cooked noodles. Then use a slotted spoon to lift out the noodles and transfer them to the large skillet or non-stick pan. Do not rinse the noodles.
- Toss the pasta together in the skillet or non-stick pan. Start by adding about ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water and then toss the pasta again. If you need more pasta water to thicken the pasta you can add until you get the desired thickness you like. I added almost all of it to mine to thicken it.
- Transfer the pasta to a serving bowl or tray.
- Grate freshly grated parmesan over top.
- Serve with a big old pasta loving smile!
Notes
Nutrition
Thanks for visiting today!
If you’re looking for more dinner recipes be sure to check out my recipe index. You can also find a lot more pasta recipes as well.
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Toodles! xx
Ramona
I love pasta too... I just wished it loved me back. 🙂 I adore this pesto... I have my low carb "pasta".... so I definitely can try it on that. 🙂 Of course, my family still eats real pasta... so they will drool over this dish. 🙂
Kim Beaulieu
Ha, thanks Ramona. I have tried low carb pasta, there's a company that makes a low GI one I quite like. Hard to get in Canada though. I'm a fan of any kind of pasta. My body just craves it all the time.
Aurora Importing
We knew you were going to do magic with the oil and the sundried tomatoes, but... WOW, KIM! This is awesome! Love the quick pesto in the food processor and how careful you are saving the pasta water to add it later, that's one of my favourite Nonna tricks 😉
Also, we love your blog and we want to thank you for letting us be part of your BlogHer Conference experience. We really enjoy working with you! We hope your readers enjoy the 10% discount at the store.
Cheers!
~Andrés
Kim Beaulieu
Thanks so much Andrés. I've been having a ball with all the products. I'm in love with oil, as always. I won't let anyone else touch it. It's off limits.
Thanks again for sending me to the conference. I had a great time. Being in such a non-foodie area I fully enjoy getting to places that are so foodie friendly.
I got your email, been tied up with the hooligan. Se had a reaction the antibiotics. She's fine but the last 24 hours have been interesting. I'll send you a quick update tonight before I hit the hay.
Love working with you and looking forward to seeing what you think of the pizza that is up next.
John@Kitchen Riffs
Sorry to hear you were so sick! I was wondering where you were. Anyway, I'm a huge carb lover too. I could live on pasta! Your penne looks great -- thanks.
Kim Beaulieu
Thanks John. We've had a wild month. I caught the worst bug in Miami, as did my room-mate, Aly of Cooking in Stilettos. I could barely walk, haven't been that sick since I had scarlet fever as a kid. So glad it's almost over, just a lingering sore throat. Then we jumped through hoops and had to throw a fit over K's teeth. Her surgeon kept rescheduling her. We finally complained to our old dentist and they called to raise hell on Friday. They had her booked with another surgeon for Monday, was seriously impressive. She's so happy to have it over with. She's a tough little hooligan, she hasn't napped or nodded off since surgery. Never seen someone bounce back so fast. I keep calling her a mutant. Ha.
Kate from Scratch
I am a carb lover as well. I love the flavor of this pesto; robust and perfect for the season.
Kim Beaulieu
Thanks so much Kate. Hope you're doing well.
Sarah Caron (Sarah's Cucina Bella)
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE sundried tomato pesto. This looks amazing!
Kim Beaulieu
Me too. Thanks so much Sarah.
Marjory @ Dinner-Mom
Proud carb lover here! This looks fantastic. Thanks for sharing!
Kim Beaulieu
Me too. I love me some carbs. Thanks for visiting.
Stephanie @ Back For Seconds
SO sorry you've been sick!!
This pasta looks perfect! I think I just found dinner 🙂
Kim Beaulieu
Thanks Stephanie. I'm so glad to be better. I've not been that ill since I was a kid. It was horrible.
Thanks. I love this pasta. We're huge pasta and pizza eaters here.
Paula - bell'alimento
I'm just going to go ahead and tip that bowl right into my mouth.
Kim Beaulieu
Ha, I can't blame you Paula.
Becca from ItsYummi!
I've never tried sun dried tomato pesto, but DANG, this looks awesome!
Kim Beaulieu
Thanks Becca. You totally have to try it. It's fabulous stuff.
The Food Hunter
this looks fabulous!
Kim Beaulieu
Thanks so much.
Amanda ( The Kitcheneer)
LOVE sun dried tomato! And I am a pasta lover as well! Looks delicious!
Kim Beaulieu
They sure are tasty, I love keeping jars on hand. Carb lovers unite. Thanks Amanda.
Brenda@Sugar-Free Mom
I love sun dried tomatoes and this sounds amazing!
Kim Beaulieu
They are so darn good, we use them a lot. Thanks so much for the compliment.
Alice // Hip Foodie Mom
gorgeous, gorgeous pasta!!! and I'm so happy I got to meet you at BlogHer!!
Kim Beaulieu
Thanks so much Alice.
Me too. You are not making it to F&W if I recall properly. How about IFBC?
Julie
I'm so sad that my body doesn't like carbs lately, because this looks fabulous. I especially think the pesto sounds awesome!
Kim Beaulieu
That's such a bummer. I am endlessly paranoid about that happening to me. I eat so many, it would be such an adjustment if I had to stop eating them. The pesto is amazing on sandwiches.
valmg @ From Val's Kitchen
That dish sounds and looks amazing! I wish I could try that right now!
Kim Beaulieu
Thanks so much. I wish I could send you some.
Carol at Wild Goose Tea
Oh my goodness I am sooooo sorry to hear you were that sick. That happened to me over 20 yrs ago. I realized what the REAL flu is all about. So glad you are on the mend. I wondered why you had been so 'quiet' lately. Yes, the way to make pesto is with a food processor, just for the reason you are mentioning----the critical part of adding the right amount of oil.
Kim Beaulieu
Thanks. I haven't been that sick since I had scarlet fever as a kid. I could barely stand for about 10 days, it was awful. And I was trying to keep all the germs away from the hooligan so she didn't get sick before her surgery. Was a wild few weeks. Glad it's over now. I don't think I cooked for over 3 weeks, maybe even a month. Crazy.
It's so true, I stand there with the bottle eye balling the pesto. It's like a science experiment every time. So much fun.
Kayle (The Cooking Actress)
SO. GOOD!!!
Carbs + tomato pesto=deeeeeeeliciousnessssss
Kim Beaulieu
Ha, thanks Kayle. How did the move go? Are you all settled and loving the new digs?
Kayle (The Cooking Actress)
It was insane and stressful! Lol but it ended up ok and we are super happy now 🙂 Mostly settled (although the office is still a mess of still packed up awfulness lol)
Lauren Kelly Nutrition
Yum, this looks incredible! I love all types of pesto and sun dried tomato is my favorite!! I need to make this soon. 🙂
Kim Beaulieu
Thanks Lauren. I love it too. Something about it is so rustic and perfect for pasta.
Nancy @ gottagetbaked
I could eat pasta day 'n night. I'm a carboholic through and through. Your penne looks fantastic, Kim! I hope you're all recovered from Miami and it's good to hear that your daughter's wisdom teeth surgery went well. I can still remember how awful it was when I got mine removed. The recovery sucked! As for the electric smoker, my eyes bug out of my head in delight and hunger every time I see photos of that smoker and all the fabulous meats you're cooking.
Liz
Glad you're back. A nice recipe, Kim. Thank you and take good care of yourself.