Sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil and pasta come together in a creamy, dairy-free sauce for a quick and flavorful dinner. This easy pasta can be served as a satisfying main course or as a side dish alongside grilled meat or a crisp salad.
Simple to prepare and budget-friendly, this Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil Pasta is ideal for busy weeknights and feeds a family without breaking the bank. It can be on the table in under 30 minutes and reheats well for easy leftovers.
How to make creamy sun-dried tomato and basil pasta
Start by sautéing the sun-dried tomatoes for a few minutes to release their oils and deepen their flavor. Add the garlic and cook briefly until fragrant. Pour in the vegetable stock and stir in the dairy-free sour cream. Reserve ½ cup of the vegetable stock to make a slurry later.
Blend in nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and cracked red pepper. Allow the mixture to simmer gently for about five minutes so the flavors meld.
To thicken the sauce, whisk the reserved ½ cup of vegetable stock together with the flour until smooth and lump-free. Pour this slurry into the pan and stir; the sauce will begin to thicken as it heats.
Add the cooked pasta and fold in the chopped fresh basil. Stir everything together and let it warm through so the pasta is well coated and the basil releases its aroma.
Serve the pasta hot, garnished with extra basil and a sprinkle of cracked red pepper for heat if desired.
How to serve
- Serve as the main entrée with a fresh green salad for a light, balanced meal.
- Offer it as a flavorful side dish beside steak, grilled chicken, or roasted vegetables.
- Leftovers store well: keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop in a nonstick pan.
More easy pasta dishes
- Greek Orzo Salad
- Southwest Pasta Salad
Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Pasta
Amy Duska
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 oz. pasta, cooked
- 1 (7 oz.) jar sun-dried tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 3 cups vegetable broth or stock (reserve ½ cup)
- ½ cup dairy-free sour cream
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon cracked red pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped (about 20 leaves)
- 2 tablespoons flour
Instructions
- In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, sauté the sun-dried tomatoes for 3 minutes. Add the minced garlic and continue to sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add 2½ cups of vegetable broth and the dairy-free sour cream. Stir over medium heat until well blended. Stir in garlic powder, nutritional yeast, onion powder, cracked red pepper and salt. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Combine the reserved ½ cup of vegetable stock and the flour in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour the mixture into the pan and stir until the sauce begins to thicken. Add the basil and cooked pasta, stir to combine, and cook until heated through. Serve warm.
Video
Notes
- Make this dish gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta and cornstarch instead of flour to thicken the sauce.
- To store: keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- To reheat: warm leftovers in the microwave or on the stovetop in a nonstick pan until heated through.
This recipe was originally published in July 2015 and updated in June 2018.