Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta

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A creamy sundried tomato pasta with spinach and bacon is an easy-yet-elegant meal!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword pasta with sun dried tomatoes, sun dried tomato pasta, sun dried tomato pasta recipe, sundried tomato pasta

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings people

Calories 564kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package short pasta, such as penne, fusilli, rigatoni, or farfalle
4 ounces bacon (about 4 strips)
½ cup finely diced red onion
½ cup julienne-cut sundried tomatoes packed in oil, drained
2 large cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons total)
¾ cup dry white wine
½ cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish
Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups packed fresh baby spinach leaves
Optional garnish: chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, basil, or thyme; crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions

Cook the pasta in a large pot of well-salted boiling water according to package directions for al dente. Drain; but reserve about ½ cup of the pasta cooking water to use for the sauce later.
While the pasta cooks, cook the bacon in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 5-6 minutes. Remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving 1 tablespoon of drippings in the pan. Coarsely crumble or chop the crispy bacon once it’s cool enough to handle.
Add the onion to the bacon drippings in the pan. Sauté until the onion softens, about 3 minutes. Stir in the sundried tomatoes and garlic; cook for 1 minute. Add the wine, broth, and basil. Simmer until the liquid reduces by about half, approximately 5 minutes. Add the cream and Parmesan cheese. Simmer gently, stirring regularly, until the sauce reduces and thickens slightly, 3-5 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Reduce the heat to low. Add the cooked pasta, crumbled bacon, and spinach to the cream sauce. Gently stir until the sauce coats the pasta and the spinach wilts. Gradually add a little bit of the pasta cooking water to loosen up and thin the sauce until it reaches the desired consistency. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
Garnish with additional Parmesan cheese, fresh herbs, and crushed red pepper flakes just before serving.

Notes

Look for sun dried tomatoes packed in oil. These are soft, tender, and full of flavor! I like the julienne-cut variety, since it eliminates the need for extra chopping. Do not use dehydrated sundried tomatoes for this recipe.

For a vegetarian pasta dish, omit the bacon. Sauté the onion in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil used to pack the sundried tomatoes. Swap out the chicken broth for vegetable broth.

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