Sun Dried Tomato Pasta
Updated Aug 18, 2026
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Perfect for busy weeknights, this easy sun dried tomato pasta is ready in just 20 minutes. It’s a vegetarian dinner that delivers big on flavor, making the most of pantry and fresh ingredients. That’s why it’s in my regular recipe rotation no matter the season.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Sun dried tomatoes are very handy to have in your fridge to make easy pasta recipes like this one. Straight from the jar, they’re bold with tons of Mediterranean flavor. I also use them in this simple pesto gnocchi.
When it’s not tomato season, I go all in on sun dried tomatoes. At the grocery, seasons don’t exist because you can get pretty much any fruit or vegetable whenever, but that doesn’t guarantee that they will taste good.
This is a low effort, big results recipe. The prep is minimal, the cooking is quick and it’s still special.
Ingredients & Substitutions
This is what you need:
- Sun dried tomatoes are easy to find in the Italian food section at the grocery with the jarred olives, artichokes and other antipasti. I prefer them packed in oil rather than the dried ones because then you don’t have to rehydrate them. You can make this recipe with roasted red peppers or use a combination of both.
- Pasta: Penne rigate with ridges is what I like because they pick up the tomatoes and other ingredients. Short shapes like fusilli or cavatappi will also work.
- Minced garlic, red pepper flakes kosher salt and black pepper are the aromatics in the recipe and the starting point for building flavor with the rest of the ingredients.
- Baby arugula is for more than just salads. I love it because it’s peppery. I wouldn’t completely swap it with spinach, but you can include both.
- Parmesan: Stirred into the hot pasta, the cheese melts right in adding umami to each bite. I also sprinkle more on top as I serve it.
- Parsley: I garnish the pasta with fresh herbs. You can also use chopped parsley, basil or chives.
How To Make Sun Dried Tomato Pasta
1. Cook the pasta. Check the recommended time on the package directions and make sure you don’t overcook it. You want the penne to be al dente and have some bite. Save a half-cup of the starchy cooking water.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.
3. Add the minced garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Sauté until fragrant.
4. Stir the tomatoes into the garlic and oil and continue cooking for a couple minutes.
5. Spoon the cooked pasta into the tomatoes and stir everything together. Then pour in the reserved pasta cooking water. It will bubble and quickly disappear, but as you stir the pasta and tomatoes, it will leave a silky coating along with the oil on the pasta.
6. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.
7. Fold in the arugula. The greens will look like a lot in the skillet, but they will quickly wilt.
8. Garnish with parsley and more Parmesan before serving.
Serving
A salad is my pick to go with most pasta dishes including this one. Depending on the season, try this Italian chopped salad or this better-than-a-restaurant house salad. If you want to keep things the easiest then make this arugula salad with lemon vinaigrette because you already have arugula in your kitchen for the pasta.
More Sun Dried Tomato Recipes
Mediterranean Couscous Salad
Lemon White Bean Orecchiette
Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Pasta
Roasted Broccolini with Sun Dried Tomato Gremolata
Baked Feta with Olives and Tomatoes
This pasta is part of my guide to easy pasta recipes for every season featuring vegetarian ideas for spring, summer, fall and winter.
Did you try this simple pasta recipe? Please leave a rating and comment below. Thanks!
Sun Dried Tomato Pasta
Ingredients
- 10 ounces penne pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 8-ounce jar sun dried tomatoes, oil drained and roughly chopped
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan plus more for serving
- 1 1/2 cups baby arugula
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Save this recipe
Get it sent to your inbox plus new recipes every week.
Instructions
- Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Cook the penne until al dente according package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining in a strainer.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the tomatoes and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Stir the pasta into the tomatoes.
- Pour in the reserved pasta cooking water letting it bubble for a couple minutes, stirring to coat the pasta.
- Fold in the Parmesan followed by the arugula.
- Garnish with parsley and additional cheese before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Fast , easy , yummy ! Will definitely make again, might sprinkle with some grilled chopped bacon on top .
This was simple to make and delicious. Wouldn’t change a thing.
Delicious perfect
Easy and delicious! This will definitely be a regular in our weekly dinner.
So I stuffed up by not retaining the pasta water. Thankfully I’d put the pasta over the pot I used to cook it, and there was a little in there, I topped it up with tap water and it still turned out really tasty. Next time I’ll pay attention to what I’m doing more though!!!
I made this for my mom! Only 2 people would be eating this so I didn’t follow measurements lol. The sauce turned out really tasty! I looked through the comments and noticed someone said pasta water is key in the ingredients so I made sure to add it in as well. I also sautéed some onions until it caramelized and folded it in and added colorful tomatoes for a burst of freshness. I don’t have arugula or parm but I’m sure this would have been to die for! I’d definitely make this again.
added ground turkey, used spinach because i did not have arugula, and used mozarella because i did not have parmesan. i would use less salt next time, but wow, so easy and delicious!!
Very amazing….I didn’t have everything but used onions ans mushrooms with butter little rose wine before I added the sundried tomatoes and Roquette….and fromage brebis (traveling in France and beaucoup of every other cheese) turned out great-no leftovers.
This was so good! I amazed how flavorful the dish turned out with such simple ingredients. Truly a keeper! Thank-you!
I love sun-dried tomatoes. Look forward to making the recipe. Did yu use the plain sun-dried or the tomatoes in oil that you mixed in with penne
I use the sun-dried tomatoes that come packed in oil in a jar, but I do drain the oil and just use the tomatoes for the pasta.
Good recipe! I used Swiss chard instead of arugula. Will make it again.
This was so easy and so good!! I followed almost exactly except I was out of black pepper and instead of regular olive oil, I used the oil from the tomatoes. It’s fantastic and I’ll definitely put this in a regular rotation for dinners.
Can this be made as a cold pasta dish ?
Yes, you can eat this cold as a pasta salad.
I added fresh basil & some grape tomatoes from garden, fresh romano & mozzarella but had no arugula Let me tell you, it was incredible over gnocchi’s seared in olive oil.
Thanks for sharing you recipe, Much Appreciated!
Simply delicious just as written! This will definitely goe into my dinner rotation. Thank you, Paige!
So happy it made it into your dinner rotation!