Creamy Vegan Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta

munchmealsbyjanet1

5 years ago

This Creamy Vegan Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta is a perfect cozy, dairy-free dish that’s delicious for all occasions. With a simple, no-cook sauce that’s ready in minutes, plus a decadent pine nut and breadcrumb topping, this pasta is certainly a keeper.

It has that fancy, “this took me hours” kind of vibe, yet it is SO easy and fast to put together. The sauce gets its flavor from sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, and kalamata olives – in just the right proportion to create a super flavorful and dreamy sauce that gets a touch of creaminess.

Another great thing about this pasta is that it times out really well. While the pasta is cooking, you have time to toast the pine nuts and panko style breadcrumbs and to blend up the sauce.

Did I mention you don’t have to cook the sauce? Such a score! You pour it over the hot pasta, which then gets topped with fresh herbs (here I chose thyme) and the pine nut – breadcrumb mixture.

Tips for this Creamy Vegan Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Recipe

You can use whatever fresh herbs you prefer here. I used fresh thyme, but other great choices would be fresh parsley, rosemary, or basil. If you don’t have any fresh herbs, you can add a dash of the dried versions to the sauce, or simply omit.
The pine nuts are toasted in a dry pan, until just lightly golden brown. This takes around 4 to 5 minutes on medium heat. Don’t go too far though, since they will quite suddenly start their toasting process, and you don’t want to burn them.
I use panko-style breadcrumbs here, since they’re chunkier than regular breadcrumbs to provide a crunch when toasted. Feel free to omit the breadcrumbs. This pasta will still be super delicious. Here’s a great vegan panko as well as a gluten-free panko.
This pasta is great for adding in extras like sauteed spinach, sauteed broccoli, chopped marinated artichokes, or extra chopped roasted peppers and sun-dried tomatoes.

How this Dish Comes Together

Start by boiling water for the pasta.
While that’s happening, add the pine nuts to a dry pan and toast them. Again, these babies cook quickly. For the first few minutes, it may seem like nothing is happening, then all of a sudden – golden they go! You can stir them at this point, to get both sides golden. Then set them aside.
Add the breadcrumbs to the pan, and toast them in a similar fashion. If you want to get more decadent, you can add a bit of olive oil or butter to them while they’re toasting. I like to stir them around as they’re toasting. When they’re golden brown, set them aside with the pine nuts.
By now, your water may be boiling. Drop in the pasta along with around a tablespoon of salt. Stir and cook until just al dente. Drain.
While the pasta is in the water, gather your ingredients for the Sauce and combine them in a food processor or blender.
Combine the pasta with the sauce in your pan or in a large bowl, and toss in any additions you may be using.
Then serve and top with the pine nuts, breadcrumbs, and fresh herbs.

Some Helpful Items for this Recipe

All opinions are my own. I get a small commission based on items purchased through these links.

Cuisinart DLC-10SYP1 Food Processor, 7 Cup, White

Farberware 5181490 Stainless Steel Colander Sieves-Set of 3, Multi Sized

Cento Sun Dried Tomatoes, 10 Ounce

Other Delicious Pasta Recipes

Pasta with Vegan Ragu

Avocado Pesto Pasta

Cheesy Pasta with Broccoli and Herbs

Vegan Creamy Cajun Pasta

Roasted Tomato Pasta with Mushrooms