Get into the full spirit of spring with this creamy sun-dried tomato and spinach pasta. Use sundried tomatoes or fresh grape or cherry tomatoes, pick your favorite pasta and pair them with a delicious cream sauce.
Spring is here and it seems the right time to bring this creamy pasta to the table. It has sun-dried tomatoes and lots of fresh baby spinach but this creamy vegetarian pasta is anything but boring!
So today we’re making a creamy sun-dried and tomato spinach pasta full of fresh, vibrant ingredients. This recipe is a fun one, just in time for sunshine and happy times. Let’s start cooking.
CREAMY SUN-DRIED TOMATO AND SPINACH PASTA RECIPE TIPS
Now you can use just about any pasta you want – I just happened to want linguine for mine. Spaghetti, fettuccine, ziti, rigatoni, whatever you like. Just use half a pound of it, which is usually half a box.
I used julienne-cut sun-dried tomatoes in oil. Drain the oil and chop them up some more so they stretch well in the pasta. Once you start sauteing it, you’ll get this lovely aroma. So stick your nose close to the pan so you don’t miss it 😉 I used about half a cup of chopped sun-dried tomatoes but if you want to add more, feel free. You can also substitute sun-dried tomatoes with fresh grape or cherry tomatoes.
Reserve some pasta water – we’ll use that to add some volume to the cream sauce which is mostly just heavy cream and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Call it a pseudo-Alfredo sauce if you will.
I roughly chopped up the baby spinach to make it easier to cook since we’re adding it in last. Don’t worry about the water content, the baby spinach doesn’t seem to add much of that so your pasta sauce won’t be watered down.
As usual, I’ll stress on using freshly grated Parmesan cheese so it melts smoothly into the cream sauce. The pre-shredded stuff just won’t melt as beautifully. So buy a block of Parmesan and use any grater you have handy. I love my microplane for stuff like this. It makes grating so much easier. I used to hate grating stuff on my box grater, but not anymore!
We’ll also be adding some fresh basil for a true Italian flavor and some Italian seasoning. If you want a little kick, there’s also the option to add in some red pepper flakes.
This is a vegetarian pasta but if you want to add some protein try these similar recipes like creamy Tuscan chicken pasta, Tuscan sausage pasta, or this creamy garlic Tuscan shrimp.
What to Serve with Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta
The pasta is a meal on its own but if you feel like having some sides or an appetizer, try pairing it with some classic homemade garlic bread, Parmesan garlic knots, or the more decadent cheesy garlic bread.
And that’s all there is to it. Happy cooking! Let me know how you liked it, what substitutions you made and what you paired it with in the comments below!
MORE VEGETABLE PASTA RECIPES TO TRY
- Spinach and Three Cheese Manicotti
- Easy Vegetable Pasta
- Spinach and Artichoke Ravioli Bake
- Tortellini Alfredo Spinach Casserole
- Mushroom Alfredo
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Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato and Spinach Pasta
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 2 1x
Description
Get into the full spirit of spring with this creamy sun-dried tomato and spinach pasta. This recipe is easy and ready in just 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. linguine, cooked al dente (reserve 1/4 cup pasta water)
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, diced
- 1/4 cup pasta water
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated and divided
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Over medium-high heat, saute garlic in some oil until fragrant.
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes and saute for 2 minutes.
- Pour in the pasta water and simmer for 1 minute.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and pour in heavy cream.
- Add in 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, stirring to mix until the cheese melts into the sauce.
- Toss in basil, Italian seasoning, and baby spinach and simmer gently until the spinach has cooked down.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the pasta into the sauce and toss to combine.
- Top with remaining Parmesan cheese.
- Dish and serve hot.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Scroll up to RECIPE TIPS for more useful tips, suggestions and ingredient substitutions.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
Comments & Reviews
Diane says
How can I incorporate chicken into this recipe???
The Cooking Jar says
You can cube some boneless, skinless chicken breasts and sear them until fully cooked beforehand. Season them with salt and pepper to taste and other seasonings such as Italian seasoning or paprika while they sear. Remove to a plate and set aside before continuing with the main recipe. There will be some plate juices while the chicken sits and this adds flavor, so don’t throw it away. Add the chicken and plate juices to the pan with the heavy cream at step 4, stir to mix, then continue per the recipe.
Leone says
Made this tonight and it was delicious! Quick, simple yet super tasty. Definitely will be making it again.
The Cooking Jar says
So happy you enjoyed it and thank you for sharing, Leone 🙂 Enjoy the food the next time you make it!
Janet Smith says
I haven’t made this yet but I’m really looking forward to making it. I just have a couple questions. First of all, how much oil do I use to saute the garlic and the tomatoes? And also do I use the sun dried tomatoes that come in oil in a jar or the ones that come in the packet with no oil?
The Cooking Jar says
Happy to answer your questions, Janet! For the sauteeing – a tablespoon of olive oil is more than enough. You can even use the oil from the jar of sundried tomatoes and use that to saute. I personally like using julienne-cut sun-dried tomatoes that come in oil but I leave it open-ended in the ingredients in case people have personal preferences.
Mary says
Quick, easy and delicious. A good way to use up that big tub of spinach and Costco jar of sundried tomatoes!
The Cooking Jar says
Glad to have helped you finish up your pantry items, Mary! Thanks for trying it out 🙂
LAURIE says
Oh my goodness – just tried this, it was awesome. Also I loved how you broke down each step!
The Cooking Jar says
I’m glad someone reads the blurbs! I’ve been trying to shape them around tips and tricks to help out (in case the directions are too brief). Thanks for getting back to me on that!
Lindsay says
This was excellent and so easy to make. I added mushrooms for my meat loving partner. We will definitely make this again?
The Cooking Jar says
Excellent addition! I love mushrooms as well, especially the meaty portabella 🙂
Lori Lusetti says
This is absolutely THE best! I used Penne pasta and added a little extra fresh grated parmesan to make it even creamier. My dinner guest had a third helping! I cant wait to make it again! Thank you so much for this delicious recipe.
Lori
The Cooking Jar says
Thanks for trying it out, Lori! Can’t hurt to add in more Parmesan 🙂
Enjoy the next helping you have!
Rick says
Delicious! Googled “sun dried tomato, spinach and cream” (stuff I had in the fridge) to make a sauce for my homemade fettuccine and got this one. Followed it to the letter and it was fantastic! Big hit with the whole family. It is a keeper and I’m probably going to borrow it for an Italian themed dinner party in a few weeks. Thanks!!
The Cooking Jar says
Homemade fettuccine, wow! Props to you, I’ve never made pasta from scratch. And I hope your Italian themed dinner party turned out well.
Ken Pesile says
Just made your recipe and it turned out great. DELICIOUS! Thank you.
The Cooking Jar says
Yay! Always happy to hear it worked out well. Thanks for trying it out, Ken!
plasterers bristol says
This sounds lovely. Going to give this a go. thanks for sharing this recipe.
Simon
The Cooking Jar says
Happy cooking, Simon!
Sumit says
Hi Farah,
It looks delicious. It is one of my second favorite pasta. I have not cook this for ages, thanks for the reminder 🙂
The Cooking Jar says
Most welcome, Sumit! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Annie @ The Garlic Diaries says
Immediately got so hungry while looking at your gorgeous pictures :). This pasta is making me drool! Can’t wait to try it!
The Cooking Jar says
Thank you, Annie 🙂 Hoping you like it!