Let me introduce you to my magical one-pot sun-dried tomato pasta. Magical, hey? Actually, this dish is nothing short of a miracle. Lusciously creamy tomato sauce, perfectly al dente pasta, intensely rich sun-dried tomatoes, salty olives and fresh, vibrant basil. It’s made in one pan, takes less than 30 minutes and will leave you STUNNED.
HOW DO I MAKE IT?
There are only four very simple steps to make this extraordinary one-pot sun-dried tomato pasta:
- Fry the onion. I’ve used red onion in this recipe as it gives a wonderful caramelised flavour to the sauce. Make sure the onion has completely softened before adding in the tomatoes as this will stop the cooking process.
- Add the pasta and cook! It literally is as simple as adding most of the other ingredients, mixing well, bringing to a boil and then simmering until cooked. In terms of pasta, these cooking times are correct for whole-grain pasta varieties such as whole wheat, spelt, brown rice or buckwheat – my personal favourite. If using a white pasta, reduce the simmering time to 10 minutes and check the pasta regularly whilst resting to avoid overcooking.
- Let it rest. Cover the al dente pasta with a lid and let the residual heat do the rest of the work.
- Finish it off! Add the remaining ingredients, marble in the creamy mascarpone and season to perfection. Serve the pot on the table with a crisp side salad and let your guests tuck in. If you didn’t want to use mascarpone, cream cheese, creme fraiche, cream or any vegan alternative will work perfectly fine in its place. I have also tried this one-pot sun-dried tomato pasta recipe using a vegan greek-yoghurt, which gave a dish a lovely tang. Or, if you wish, just leave the creaminess out completely!
This one-pot sun-dried tomato pasta will feed between 4-6 people. If your appetite is anything like mine, then 4 portions is probably more realistic. Any leftovers (HA!) of this pasta will keep refrigerated in air-tight container for up to 5 days, making it perfect to meal prep for packed lunches/dinners. It can be eaten cold but I find it is most delicious when reheated until piping hot.
I have to say, I actually impressed myself with this recipe. It is so ridiculously simple, yet somehow spectacular. I’m not sure I will ever be able to cook pasta and sauce separately ever again. Suddenly two pans just seems like far too much washing up…
Please let me know if you make this one-pot sun-dried tomato pasta! Tag me in pictures of your creations on IG @georgieeatsuk, use the #georgieeats, or leave me a comment down below. Keep Smiling!
G x
ONE-POT SUN-DRIED TOMATO PASTA WITH BASIL & OLIVES
Lusciously creamy tomato sauce dressing perfectly al dente pasta, intensely rich sun-dried tomatoes, salty olives and fresh vibrant basil. You'll never believe how easy it is! GF, healthy & vegan option.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 red onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 400g can chopped plum tomatoes
- 100 g sundried tomatoes drained & roughly diced
- 100 g black olives roughly chopped
- 30 g (1 bunch) fresh basil roughly chopped
- 400 g dried whole-grain pasta *see recipes notes
- 750 ml vegetable stock
- 4 tbsp mascarpone cheese (optional)
- Juice ½ lemon
- Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
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Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and gently fry for 6-8 minutes, or until soft and translucent.
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Add the garlic, tinned tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, half the olives and half the basil into the pan. Season liberally with salt and pepper, then mix well to combine. Stir the dried pasta and vegetable stock into the tomato sauce, then increase the heat and bring to the boil. Cook the pasta on high for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid the pasta sticking to the pan. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 12-15 minutes, or until the pasta is just cooked.
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Remove the pan from the heat and cover with a lid (or wrap tightly with tin foil). Let it sit for 5 minutes.
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Stir through the remaining basil, remaining olives, mascarpone (if using) and lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning. To serve, spoon between bowls, grind generously with black pepper and top with a fresh green salad.
Recipe Notes
*The cooking times stated in this recipe are for whole-grain pasta varieties such as whole wheat, spelt, brown rice or buckwheat. If using a white pasta, reduce the simmering time to 10 minutes and check the pasta regularly whilst resting to avoid overcooking.
Any leftovers of this pasta will keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days and can be reheated in the microwave or over the stove.
Vegan: Use a vegan alternative to mascapone cheese such as an almond cream cheese, dairy-free cream or leave it out all together.
Gluten-free: Use gluten-free pasta. I personally like brown rice pasta or buckwheat pasta. Assure your vegetable stock is certified gluten free.
A few ingredient notes:
- To make my vegetable stock I use 1 + 1/2 stock cubes dissolved in boiling water. Personally, I like the Kallo Very Low Salt Stock Cubes as they do not contain any added flavourings or preservatives.
- Mascapone cheese can be subsituted for cream cheese, creme fraiche, cream or greek yoghurt.
If you love pasta recipes, you will LOVE this Pasta Alla Norma!
Kelly says
This looks absolutely INCREDIBLE. I love any form of tomato-based pasta, hoping to get time to try this soon.
Georgie says
Please do! And send me a picture! xxx
Mariko says
I have made this twice now. Once for myself and partner which was delicious, and again last night for 10 people. It went down a treat. Everyone asked for seconds and the recipe. How have I never thought to cook the pasta along with the ingredients in one pan before? So simple and yet genius at the same time. restaurant quality dish. Thank you for this recipe.
P.S. Some of our guests weren’t veggie so I made two pans and added chicken at the end for one. Worked very well.
Georgie says
So glad you loved it! G x
steve dimmock says
Lovely dish, warm and abundant in Mediterranean flavours. Will try with chicken and possibly smoked streaky bacon next time. An absolute gem of flavours and easy to make..