From the roundup: 22 Quick 30 Minute Dinner Recipes for Busy Nights
This creamy sun-dried tomato pasta is the one I reach for when it’s a Tuesday and I need dinner on the table fast with no meat thawed. The sauce builds entirely in the time it takes the rigatoni to boil, so the active cooking is maybe 10 minutes of actual stirring. You are not standing over the stove the whole time.
The trick that makes it taste like more effort than it is: use the oil straight from the sun-dried tomato jar to cook the garlic. That oil is already loaded with flavor, and it does most of the heavy lifting so you are not reaching for a dozen other ingredients. Parmesan, cream, spinach, and you are done.
One thing I learned the hard way is to scoop out that pasta water before you drain the pot. I have forgotten it more than once and ended up with a sauce that was too thick and a little gluey. Keep a measuring cup right next to the stove as a reminder. A few splashes of that starchy water at the end makes the whole dish silky instead of sticky.
Why you will love this
- The sauce is done before the pasta finishes boiling, so you are not adding any wait time to dinner.
- Sun-dried tomato oil replaces plain olive oil and carries concentrated flavor with zero extra effort.
- Spinach wilts directly into the cream sauce, no separate pan or prep needed.
- Rich enough that a meatless dinner does not feel like a compromise, even for the skeptics at the table.
- Leftovers reheat well the next day with just a splash of water stirred in.
Tips for success
- Do not let the garlic brown. It goes into the pan for about one minute over medium heat, just until it smells fragrant. Browned garlic turns bitter and it will pull the whole sauce off.
- Add the parmesan in small amounts and stir between each addition. Dumping it all in at once can make it clump rather than melt smoothly into the cream.
- The sauce will look thin and pale when the cream first goes in. Give it the full 3 to 4 minutes to simmer and thicken. You will see it shift to a soft blush color and coat the back of a spoon before it is ready.
- Reserve more pasta water than you think you need. The pasta keeps absorbing the sauce as you toss and plate, so having extra on hand lets you loosen things up right before serving.
If the sauce turns out too thick
- Add reserved pasta water a few tablespoons at a time while tossing. It only takes 2 to 3 splashes to bring a thick sauce back to a creamy, loose consistency.
- If you forgot to save pasta water, warm water works in a pinch, though it will thin the flavor slightly. A small splash of broth is a better backup.
- The sauce thickens fast once the pasta goes in because the noodles absorb liquid. Toss and plate quickly rather than letting it sit in the skillet.
Substitutions
Penne works just as well as rigatoni here since both have ridges that hold the sauce. Any short pasta will do in a pinch. For a lighter version, half-and-half can replace the heavy cream, though the sauce will be noticeably thinner and less rich. If you are cooking for someone who avoids dairy, full-fat coconut milk works and a vegan hard cheese can stand in for the parmesan, though the flavor will shift a bit.
Frozen spinach is fine if you squeeze out as much water as possible before adding it, otherwise it waters down the sauce. Pecorino Romano is a good swap for parmesan if that is what you have. If your household does not tolerate heat, just leave out the red pepper flakes entirely, the sauce is plenty flavorful without them.
Make-ahead and storage
The cream sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept in the fridge. When you are ready to eat, boil fresh pasta, reheat the sauce gently over medium-low, and toss everything together. It comes together in about 15 minutes that way. Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The pasta will soak up the sauce as it sits, so when reheating add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water or broth to the skillet and stir over medium-low heat until it loosens back up.
This one does not freeze well. The cream sauce separates after thawing and the texture does not recover, so stick to fridge storage for leftovers.
Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta with Spinach
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt it generously, it should taste like mild seawater. Cook the rigatoni according to the package directions until just al dente. Before draining, scoop out at least 1 cup of pasta water and set it aside. Drain the pasta and set it aside too.
- While the pasta cooks, heat the sun-dried tomato oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes if using, and cook for about 1 minute, stirring, until the garlic smells fragrant but has not browned.
- Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes to the pan and stir them around for another minute so they heat through and release their flavor into the oil.
- Pour in the heavy cream and stir to combine. Let the sauce simmer on medium-low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon. You will see it go from thin and pale to a soft blush color.
- Add the parmesan cheese a little at a time, stirring after each addition until it melts in smoothly. Season with the salt and pepper and taste. Adjust as needed.
- Add the baby spinach to the sauce and stir gently for about 1 minute until it wilts down. It will look like a lot at first but shrinks quickly.
- Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss well to coat everything in the sauce. If the sauce looks too thick or the pasta is clumping, splash in pasta water a few tablespoons at a time and toss until it is silky and loose. Serve immediately with extra parmesan on top.
Notes
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