This Red Pesto Pasta is as delicious as it is gorgeous on a serving platter. A rich pesto featuring sun dried tomatoes coats tender pasta, spinach, fresh tomatoes, pine nuts, and Parmesan cheese. This pasta can be served hot or at room temperature and works as a vegetarian main dish or a side to grilled meats, shrimp, or a green salad.
Sun dried tomatoes were all the rage in 1990s cuisine, but there's no reason to leave them in the past. Their intense concentrated tomato flavor and salty-umami notes make them a powerhouse ingredient for salads, pastas, and pizzas. Check out this baked gnocchi recipe with a sun dried tomato sauce for another way to enjoy them!
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Ingredients
I include ingredient notes here when I think they'll be helpful, including ways to source, any preparation tips, or why I've chosen a particular ingredient. Be sure to check out the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and their quantities!
- Fusilli Pasta - Any short, sturdy pasta shape will work here, but we most often use fusilli. For the batch pictured in this post I used a protein pasta to add some extra protein and fiber.
- Sun Dried Tomatoes - Choose jarred sun dried tomatoes packed in oil. These are available at most supermarkets. They can be whole or already cut into strips, either will work for this recipe.
- Pine Nuts - Pine nuts are a premium ingredient, but they can't be beat for their buttery texture and flavor. I find the best price at Costco or Trader Joe's. Freeze whatever portion of the nuts you don't use for this recipe to increase their shelf life.
- Baby Spinach - Fresh spinach leaves add a contrast to the rich pesto.
- Tomatoes - Use fresh cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes for this recipe. They will be added to the pasta along with the pesto and will keep their fresh texture because they won't have any additional cooking.
- Olive Oil - You'll only need enough olive oil to add to the oil from the sun dried tomatoes to make ½ cup total. Use an extra virgin olive oil here, the flavor will be preserved in the pesto.
- Parmesan Cheese - Use grated or shredded Parmesan cheese, but measure it by weight and not volume. Freshly shredded Parmesan takes up a lot more volume than pre-grated cheese, so weight is the most accurate way to measure it.
- Basil - Fresh basil makes a nice garnish for the plated pasta.
Instructions
Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat.
Once the water is boiling, add one tablespoon of kosher salt.
Add the pasta to the salted water and cook until the pasta reaches your desired level of doneness. Use the package instructions as a guide.
Drain the pasta in a colander, but do not rinse it with water.
While the pasta cooks, prepare the red pesto. Start by toasting the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until they take on some golden color. Keep the nuts moving constantly so they don't burn. Transfer the toasted nuts to a plate and set them aside.
Slice the fresh tomatoes in half. Remove the stems from the spinach and cut the leaves into thin strips or ribbons. Grate or shred your Parmesan, if necessary.
Strain the sun dried tomatoes and keep the oil they were packed in. It's easiest if you strain them right over a measuring cup.
If the oil from the sun dried tomatoes is less than ½ cup, add olive oil to make up the difference.
Take about ¼ cup of the strained sun dried tomatoes and chop them into small pieces. Set these aside.
Add the remaining sun dried tomatoes, the ½ cup of oil, ½ cup of the toasted pine nuts, ½ teaspoon of salt, pepper, and ¼ cup of water to a food processor
Process, pulsing repeatedly until the pesto is uniform and has a coarse texture. Stop after several pulses to scrape down the inside of the food processor to make sure all of the ingredients are incorporated.
Once the pasta is cooked and drained, add it back to the cooking pot. Add the pesto, spinach, sliced tomatoes, remaining pine nuts, chopped sun dried tomatoes, and the Parmesan to the pasta.
Toss the pasta well with all of the other ingredients. Feel free to serve this right from the pot or transfer it to a serving platter and garnish it with basil leaves.
Substitutions and Variations
The substitutions listed below have been tested in this recipe and work well. If you successfully make any other ingredient substitutions, let us know in the comments!
- Add Spice - If you want a touch of spice in your pasta, add some dried crushed red pepper flakes to your red pesto.
- Add Sausage or Chicken - Brown a pound of ground Italian sausage in a separate skillet and add it to the pasta along with the red pesto and the other ingredients. You can also thinly slice a grilled or broiled chicken breast and add this to the pasta.
- Change the Texture - Process your pesto until you have the texture you desire. A traditional pesto is made in a mortar and pestle, so it's not silky smooth. Leave yours more coarse, as you see in the photos here, or blend it until it is smooth. If you leave it running, a food processor will whip the pesto into a lighter, airier texture that resembles a creamy sauce.
Equipment
Use these favorite kitchen tools to make your red pesto pasta prep quick and easy:
- Microplane Zester - These long wand-style graters make quick work of your hard cheeses like Parmesan or Romano. The small holes of a box grater will also work, so use what you have on hand.
- Food Processor - A food processor makes preparation of the red pesto a breeze. The model featured here is a Cuisinart with a 9-cup capacity. The pulse function allows you to break down the ingredients without going overboard and losing the texture.
- Chef's Knife - An 8- or 10-inch chef's knife is an essential tool in any kitchen. A sharp blade will slice the tomatoes, shred the spinach, and chop the leathery dried tomatoes.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this vibrant red pesto pasta with a green salad or as a side with grilled chicken or flank steak, sausages, or shrimp. It can stand on its own as a main dish right from the stovetop, makes a great potluck offering at room temperature, and also works at barbecues and picnics.
Storage
Store any leftover pasta in the refrigerator for up to three days. Red pesto pasta can be enjoyed at room temperature or reheated in the microwave.
Make-Ahead Options
You can prepare the red pesto for this pasta up to two days in advance and store it in the refrigerator. Bring it to room temperature before adding to the warm pasta along with the tomatoes, spinach, Parmesan, and cheese.
FAQ
Sun dried tomatoes can be sold in their dried form or packed in oil. Both preparations will contain salt, used to aid in the drying process. Some brands flavor the oil with dried herbs, and some brands keep it simple with just olive or vegetable oil. Check the ingredients label to understand what's in your jar of tomatoes.
Yes, though you'll need days of hot weather with low humidity. If your weather doesn't support those conditions, you can speed up the process by drying tomatoes using a low oven.
Red pesto recipes usually contain almonds or walnuts, though some, like this recipe, use pine nuts.
Pasta Recipes
What's better than a hearty bowl of pasta? If you need to break out of a spaghetti and marinara rut, try any of the tasty pasta recipes below:
Pesto Variations
Basil pesto is the original and most well known variation, and there are lots of ways to enjoy it. This red pesto pasta joins some of the pesto variations below, putting a twist on the classic. Try any of the recipes here to expand your pesto horizons:
Try It and Share
I hope you try this Red Pesto Pasta and enjoy the recipe as much as we do. I want to see your results! Tag your photo with #planeatpostrepeat and mention me @planeatpostrepeat on Instagram or Facebook. I can give you a virtual high five and thank you for cooking one of my recipes! Comment below with any questions and please leave a review so others can find this recipe more easily.
Recipe
Red Pesto Pasta
Equipment
- 1 food processor
Ingredients
- 1 pound pasta (fusilli, cavatappi, radiatore, or other sturdy pasta shape)
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt (for salting pasta water)
- ¾ cup pine nuts (108 grams, divided)
- 4 oz baby spinach leaves
- 6 oz grape tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes)
- 8.5 oz jarred sun dried tomatoes in oil
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper (ground)
- 2 oz Parmesan cheese
- basil leaves and additional Parmesan (for garnish)
Instructions
- Start a large pot of water to boil over high heat. When the water comes to a boil, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the pasta. Cook until the pasta reaches your desired tenderness using the pasta package directions as a guide.
- While the pasta cooks, prepare the red pesto and other pasta ingredients. Toast pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium high heat until they start to take on a golden color. Immediately remove them to a small plate to prevent burning them.
- Slice the cherry or grape tomatoes in half. Remove the stems and slice the spinach into ribbons. Grate or shred the Parmesan cheese, if necessary.
- Strain the sun dried tomatoes from the jar and reserve the oil and tomatoes separately. Remove ¼ cup of the the sun dried tomatoes and chop them into smaller bite-sized pieces.
- Measure the reserved oil in a liquid measuring cup. Add enough olive oil to bring it up to ½ cup of oil intotal.
- Add ½ cup of the toasted pine nuts, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, black pepper, ¼ cup water, the olive oil mixture, and the remaining sun dried tomatoes to a food processor.
- Process, pulsing several times, until the red pesto is uniform and coarsely textured, scraping down the inside of the food processor as needed.
- Once the pasta is ready, drain it in a colander. Add it back to the cooking pot. Add the pesto, sliced tomatoes, spinach, ¼ cup pine nuts, reserved chopped sun dried tomatoes, and the grated Parmesan cheese. Toss all of the ingredients well until the pasta is well coated.
- Transfer the pasta to a serving dish and garnish as desired with basil leaves and extra Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately or at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition facts are sometimes provided below and are calculated using an online calculator. With specific brands of ingredients and additions, omissions, or substitutions the nutrition facts may change. We encourage you to use your own nutrition facts calculator to obtain the most accurate nutrition facts for your meal.
Cassie Waltman says
This is such a flavorful pasta, one of our favorites in summer!