You are in for a treat today! I am so pleased to be welcoming the amazing Linda from The Organic Kitchen today! Not only are her recipes out of this world, but her food photography is drool-worthy too. I can’t wait to make this simple pasta with some of my home-dried tomatoes!
Hello I am Linda Spiker from The Organic Kitchen. I am thrilled to be guest posting for Jill here at The Prairie Homestead! I love a simple meal, especially when it’s delicious and easy on the wallet. And if it can be made in less than fifteen minutes well, what’s not to like?
This is The Organic Kitchen Sun Dried Tomato Pasta. It’s rich, savory and filling, and light because it contains no meat…but honestly, it’s so savory no one will miss the meat!
When making a meal that has so few ingredients I always recommend that those ingredients are very high quality. I use an organic extra virgin olive oil, just picked basil from my herb garden, fresh garlic, organic sun dried tomatoes, freshly grated Parmesan and a good quality sea salt!
While my pasta cooks, I whip all these gorgeous ingredients together in a food processor…
…and voila! A fresh and delicious sun dried tomato pesto pasta sauce!
Always reserve a little pasta water for thinning…
Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta
Ingredients:
- 16 ounces pasta (any you like, we use Farfalle, cook according to package instructions)
- 1 (8.5-ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil (or make your own dried tomatoes!)
- 1-2 garlic cloves (depending on how much of a garlic lover you are)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper (I like this salt.)
- 3/4 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 1 T extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup roasted pine nuts
- 1/4 reserved pasta water
Directions
Cook the pasta according to package directions and reserve ¼ cup pasta water before straining in colander.
While pasta is cooking, place garlic cloves in food processor and give them a whirl. Add tomatoes (in their oil) two pinches of sea salt, some pepper, olive oil and basil leaves, blend until the tomatoes are finely chopped. Add roasted pine nuts and give a quick pulse, just enough to break them up. Lastly, add Parmesan cheese, pulse.
When pasta is al dente (literal translation “to the tooth” but means noodles are cooked but firm) pour into colander, do not rinse. Pour pasta in bowl, top with pesto. Use just enough reserved pasta water to thin pesto and stir till pesto and pasta are well mixed. Enjoy!
Linda Spiker is the owner and operator at The Organic Kitchen Cooking School and Food Blog. She is also a wife, mother of six, grandmother of three (soon to be five) and a yoga instructor. You can view The Organic Kitchen Blog and follow The Organic Kitchen on Pinterest!
Simple Sun Dried Tomato Pasta

Ingredients
- 16 ounces pasta (any you like, we use Farfalle, cook according to package instructions)
- 1 (8.5-ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil (or make your own dried tomatoes!)
- 1–2 garlic cloves (depending on how much of a garlic lover you are)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper (I use Redmond Salt)
- 3/4 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 1 T extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup roasted pine nuts
- 1/4 reserved pasta water
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions and reserve ¼ cup pasta water before straining in colander.
- While pasta is cooking, place garlic cloves in food processor and give them a whirl. Add tomatoes (in their oil) two pinches of sea salt, some pepper, olive oil and basil leaves, blend until the tomatoes are finely chopped. Add roasted pine nuts and give a quick pulse, just enough to break them up. Lastly, add Parmesan cheese, pulse.
- When pasta is al dente (literal translation “to the tooth” but means noodles are cooked but firm) pour into colander, do not rinse. Pour pasta in bowl, top with pesto. Use just enough reserved pasta water to thin pesto and stir till pesto and pasta are well mixed. Enjoy!
This sounds amazing!! I’ve been trying to build up my collection of easy/cheap/yummy recipes, can’t wait to try this! Thanks for posting!! Also, thought you might be interested to know that Farfalle is literally translated “butterflies.” And yes, it’s already plural. One butterfly would be farfalla.
That is so cool! I didn’t know that, but it totally fits. 🙂
I will have to make this!
I LOVE sun-dried tomatoes and I love pasta. Now I just have to add all your secret ingredients and see if my dish/presentation can look as beautiful as yours. (You set the bar pretty high. 🙂 )
Thanks for this great recipe. We need some more variety with our meals and this sounds like a great recipe to try.