Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Coconut Pasta

This creamy sun-dried tomato pasta has become a weekly staple in our house because the flavor is absolutely ridiculous. Coconut milk makes the sauce rich and creamy without actually tasting overwhelmingly like coconut, while sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, oregano, and a little crushed red pepper give it a ton of flavor. P.S. it’s dairy free!

It’s also one of those easy pantry dinners that comes together without much planning and if you have some spinach screaming for help in the back of the fridge, throw that in too.

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Creamy, Saucy, and Even Better After It Sits

The trick here is letting the sauce reduce before adding the pasta, then giving the whole thing another 5–10 minutes to sit before serving. The pasta soaks up some of that sauce and everything gets thick, creamy, and ridiculously good.

Fresh basil is my favorite way to finish it, but baby spinach works perfectly too. Stir it in at the end and let it wilt into the hot sauce.

Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Coconut Pasta

This creamy sun-dried tomato pasta is made with coconut milk, garlic, oregano, basil, and plenty of sun-dried tomatoes. The sauce reduces until rich and creamy for an easy weeknight dinner with ridiculous flavor.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Course: dinner, Main Course, pasta

Cuisine: italian-inspired

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 8 ounces penne pasta
• 1/2 medium onion diced
• 5 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• Crushed red pepper flakes to taste
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 13.5-ounce can full-fat coconut milk
• 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped, plus a little oil from the jar
• Fresh basil chopped, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Salt as needed

Method

 

1. Cook the penne according to the package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and garlic and sauté until softened and fragrant.
3. Add the oregano and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes. Cook for another minute.
4. Stir in the tomato sauce, coconut milk, sun-dried tomatoes, and a little of the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar.
5. Bring the sauce to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce has reduced by about half and is noticeably thicker.
6. Add the cooked penne, chopped fresh basil, and freshly ground black pepper. Stir until the pasta is completely coated.
7. Remove from the heat and let the pasta sit for 5–10 minutes before serving. This is where the magic happens — the sauce thickens and gets incredibly creamy.
8. Taste and add salt, additional pepper, or crushed red pepper as needed.

Notes

Use full-fat coconut milk. This is what gives the sauce its rich, creamy texture.

Don’t skip the sun-dried tomato oil. A little bit adds a ton of flavor to the sauce.

Let it sit. The pasta may look a little saucier than expected when it first comes off the stove. Give it 5–10 minutes and it’ll thicken right up.

Use up that spinach. If you have fresh spinach that’s about two days away from becoming compost, toss it in instead of the basil. Add it with the pasta and stir until wilted.

What I use: This is one of those simple dinners that doesn’t require anything fancy. I make the whole sauce in my large stainless-steel skillet (don’t forget to avoid using tomato based sauces in your cast iron!) and use a wooden spoon for just about everything in my kitchen.

Pantry staple tip: Thrive Market is my favorite place to stock up on things like coconut milk and sun-dried tomatoes. Having both sitting in the pantry is basically how dinners like this happen when I have absolutely no plan.

Love This Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta? Try This Next

This sun-dried tomato pasta is one of those dinners I come back to when I want something easy but still really good. If you’re looking for another simple dinner for a busy night, try my Creamy Sausage & Pesto Gnocchi next… another easy, cozy meal with a ton of flavor.