Vegan Sundried Tomato Pasta

This speedy vegan sundried tomato pasta is definitely something to try if you love bold and tangy flavors. Oil-packed sundried tomatoes turn into a pesto sauce for maximum flavor with minimum effort!

If you're a fan of sundried tomatoes, this sundried tomato pesto pasta is definitely something you should try.

It has loads of flavor from a mix of sundried tomatoes, garlic and fresh basil, and it's ready in just 20 minutes. You can make the sundried tomato pesto sauce while the pasta is cooking.

It's not just any pasta with sundried tomatoes sprinkled on top - the sundried tomatoes are the sauce!

Why you'll love this vegan sundried tomato pasta

• It's simply bursting with flavor and just perfect for summer.
• You can have it on the table in only 20 minutes.
• It's easy to make it your own by adding baby spinach, artichokes or various seeds and nuts.

Ingredients and substitutions

Sundried tomatoes - You'll need a jar of sundried tomatoes packed in oil. Since this is basically a sundried tomato pesto pasta recipe, you need to add half of the oil from the jar to the food processor.

Garlic - Two garlic cloves are perfect if you like garlicky pesto sauces. If you want just a subtle garlic flavor, use just one clove.

Red chili flakes - Add more red chili flakes if you want the sauce to be a bit more fiery.

Fresh basil - You'll need 8-10 fresh basil leaves for this pesto.

Red onion - A finely chopped shallot also works if you want a milder flavor.

Pasta - I used fusilli for this pasta dish, but any other kind of pasta that holds the sauce well works here. Rotini and farfalle are two other good choices.

Pine nuts - Toast the pine nuts for some extra flavor. You can substitute them with chopped toasted walnuts.

Arugula - A handful of arugula gives brightness and extra flavor to this sundried tomato pesto pasta.

How to make sundried tomato pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it and cook the pasta al dente according to the instructions on the package. Reserve 1-2 cups of pasta water before draining.

Meanwhile, take 4-5 of the sundried tomatoes out of the jar, slice them, and put them aside.

Place the rest of the sundried tomatoes together with half the oil from the jar in the bowl of a food processor. Add the garlic, red chili flakes and basil leaves and blitz for 1-2 minutes until you have a pesto-like consistency.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil from the jar in a large, deep pan and saute the onion for 2-3 minutes over medium heat.

Stir in the sundried tomato pesto and add a splash of the pasta water.

Transfer the cooked pasta to the pan and toss to combine. Add more pasta water if it looks too thick.

Next, stir in the sliced sundried tomatoes, toasted pine nuts and arugula. Season to taste and serve immediately.

Recipe notes and tips

• If you want to make this sundried tomato pasta creamy, add half a cup of vegan cashew cream or coconut cream after you stir in the sundried tomato pesto.
• Leftovers will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can serve them at room temperature, pasta-salad style, or reheat them in the microwave.

If you liked this vegan sundried tomato pasta, you might also like some of my other easy vegan pasta recipes:

• Sriracha Pasta Sauce
• Coconut Milk Pasta Sauce
• Creamy Avocado Pasta Sauce
• Vegan Leek and Mushroom Pasta
• Creamy Vegan Fajita Pasta

Don't miss out on any new recipes! Follow Vegan Cocotte on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.