Love creamy pastas? This sun-dried tomato pesto pasta combines the rich flavors of sun-dried tomato pesto and whipped ricotta for an irresistibly creamy sauce. Made in minutes in a food processor, toss it with hot cooked noodles for a satisfying gourmet meal. Use your favorite pasta shape to catch every bite of the luxurious sauce. Versatile, it works perfectly as a dip too, served with veggies, crackers, or crisp crostini.
Following my homemade sun-dried tomato pesto (also calIed red pesto or pesto rosso) I had to share this companion recipe. With the pesto made and a tub of ricotta on hand, I thought why not combine them? It came out amazing! Friends immediately asked for the recipe. Savory and creamy, pesto and whipped ricotta make natural partners for a terrific sauce or dip.
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Why You'll like This Recipe
- An easy pasta recipe, make it in a matter of minutes with a food processor.
- Make the pesto ahead of time for for busy weeknights.
- Whip the sauce together at serving time or before.
- A gluten-free recipe (with gluten-free pasta).
This would be good made with a traditional green basil pesto too, like this Pesto Genovese.
Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta Ingredients
- Pasta: Use your favorite, either gluten-free or wheat pasta. For the best shapes to hold up to creamy sauces, check out the pasta guide below.
- Ricotta cheese: I use whole milk ricotta for rich creaminess instead of heavy cream or cream cheese.
- Sun-dried tomato pesto: Takes just minutes to make. Homemade pesto is the best (and easy!), but purchased works too.
- Oil: Extra virgin olive oil is my top choice, but avocado oil works too.
- Lemon juice: Lifts the flavor and balances the richness.
Optional Garnishes for dun-dried tomato pesto pasta
- Fresh herbs: Add fresh basil leaves as garnish, or Italian parsley.
- Parmesan cheese: Extra to use as garnish if desired.
- Red pepper flakes: For a little more heat.
Please see the recipe card for measurements.
Chef Sally's pesto rosso: To make sun-dried tomato pesto, you need just a few items. An 8-ounce jar of sun-dried tomatoes in extra virgin olive oil, pine nuts, parmesan, olive oil, lemon, garlic, and basil. See the link above for details. It's great make-ahead recipe. For substitutions with sun dried tomato pesto, check the substitutions section in the post.
To add some protein to this creamy pasta dish, flake in some homemade smoked salmon. It's a delicious combination.
Substitutions and Variations
- This works well with the more common basil pesto too! Whip the ricotta cheese and enough pesto together until it tastes as you prefer, then add lemon juice and olive oil if needed.
- To add protein for meat eaters, try sliced grilled chicken or cooked Italian sausages. Seafood like grilled shrimp and even salmon work well too.
If you love to make homemade sauces, try my gluten-free bbq sauce! It has a nice kick and deep flavors for just about anything going on the grill.
Recipe Instructions
First, start a large pot of water for the pasta and add a little salt. Cook according to the package instructions until just al dente, then drain. Save a half cup of pasta water in case you want to loosen the sauce. While the pasta cooks, start the sauce. It takes just a minute.
Choosing the Right Pasta
What type of pasta works best with this sauce? When it comes to pairing pasta shapes with richer, creamier sauces, certain types of pasta excel due to their ability to hold and complement the sauce effectively. Here are some of the best pasta shapes for richer sauces like sun-dried tomato pesto with whipped ricotta:
- Fettuccine: The flat surface of fettuccine allows the creamy sauce to cling well, making it a classic choice for Alfredo and other creamy sauces .
- Tagliatelle: The wide, flat shape of tagliatelle is perfect for thick, creamy sauces, ensuring that each bite is coated evenly. It's a little narrower than fettuccine.
- Rigatoni: The characteristic ridges and hollow center trap creamy sauces, providing a satisfying bite with every mouthful.
- Penne: The short tubes with ridges cut at an angle trap creamy sauces like rigatoni and go well with creamy sauces.
- Fusilli: WIth sort of a corkscrew shape, there's lot's of room for the pasta to be coated with creamy sauce. Another good corkscrew shape is cavatappi.
Love pasta salad? Try this terrific Caesar pasta salad, with chicken or without.
Chef Sally's tip: Want to know more about pasta shapes? Check out the pasta shapes dictionary for lots of fun facts.
Serving Suggestions
Toss sun-dried tomato pesto pasta sauce with your favorite pasta while it's hot, right after draining. Save a little of the pasta water to loosen it up a bit if needed. What I do is make a batch, use it for snacking as a dip, then turn the rest into this sauce with the whipped ricotta for making pesto pasta.
Can you freeze this? Can and should are two different things. Ricotta does not freeze well and gets grainy upon thawing so I advise making it fresh and using within 5 days. If you want to try freezing it, after thawing re-whip in a food processor and make any adjustments preferred with lemon juice or olive oil.
Recipe FAQs
Pesto can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for up to a week or even frozen in ice cube trays for several months.
Absolutely. To add protein, try sliced grilled chicken, cooked or grilled shrimp, or baked or grilled salmon.
It pairs well with a side salad, garlic bread, or as a dip with fresh veggies, crackers, or crostini.
Looking for More Pasta Recipes?
For three more sauces that pair well with pasta, try this bolognese made with ground bison, easy tomato marinara (red pasta sauce), or meaty mushroom marinara.
⭐️Did you Make This?
If you make sun-dried tomato pesto pasta, I hope you'll comment and let me know how you liked it. If you loved it, please give it a 5 star rating! They really help other readers and I appreciate hearing from you.
📖 Recipe
Sun-dried tomato pesto pasta
Ingredients
Pasta
- 12 ounces pasta of choice gluten-free or wheat
Pesto Pasta Sauce
- 15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese 1 tub
- ¾ cup sun-dried tomato pesto see link below for homemade, or use purchased, about 6.7 ounces.
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Optional Garnishes
- basil leaves
- grated parmesan cheese
- red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Fill a large pot ¾ full of water and add salt. Bring to a boil and cook pasta according to the box directions. While the water is coming to a boil, make the sauce.
- To make the sun-dried tomato ricotta sauce, add all ingredients to a food processor and puree into a creamy sauce.
- When pasta is done, drain, saving some of the hot pasta water to loosen the sauce if needed. Immediately toss the pasta with the pesto sauce and place into serving bowls. Garnish with copped basil leaves and parmesan if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
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