Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta with Creamy White Wine Sauce and Spinach
By Emma Collins
Prep
10 min
Cook
20 min
Total
30 min
Servings
4
Level
Easy
Use oil-packed‚ sun-dried tomatoes‚ thoroughly drained before slicing‚ to add sweet and sour notes and a tomato taste to this vegetarian rigatoni recipe․ A creamy sauce prepared with white wine‚ garlic‚ cooked spinach‚ Parmesan cheese‚ lemon‚ and other ingredients adds tanginess to the rigatoni․
Cook the pasta al dente․ Melt butter‚ garlic‚ and flour in a pan․ Simmer white wine‚ Dijon mustard‚ lemon juice‚ and Italian-seasoned herbs to create a sauce․ Add tomato and cream seasonings to the sauce․ Use freshly grated Parmesan cheese‚ as recommended by the recipe author‚ who says it will have better flavor and texture when combined with the sauce․ Choose ridged or tubular pasta shapes to hold the sauce․
After reducing the wine mixture by half‚ cream and tomatoes should be cooked for five minutes․ Add Parmesan and spinach to the sauce․ Cook until the sauce blends well and thickens enough to coat pasta as the spinach cooks down․ Potential problems with this sauce include overcooking and excessive thickening․ Reserve pasta water when cooking pasta and add it gradually as needed․ Cook other ingredients in a skillet over medium heat‚ including butter‚ flour‚ and garlic․
Serve immediately with dinner rolls‚ hard rolls‚ garlic bread‚ or a salad such as Parmesan arugula․ Other starches can absorb excess sauce․ Leftover pasta can be refrigerated in a tightly sealed container and reheated gently in a saucepan over low heat․ The source does not advise freezing pasta with cream sauce․
Why you'll love this recipe
- A small quantity of sun-dried tomatoes can give half a cup of sauce a sweet-and-sour tomato flavor․ This is a way to use a common pantry item in place of fresh tomatoes․
- Using freshly grated Parmesan cheese in the cream sauce will combine better with the other ingredients than adding pregrated Parmesan cheese․
- The finished pasta will have an even‚ lightly dusted texture․
- Dry white wine adds some of the brightness mentioned in cooking applications․ Chicken broth is an alternative if you do not have wine․
- Baby spinach is spoon-shaped and cooks quickly to add a green side to the meal without needing another vegetable course․
- The ridges and holes in rigatoni pasta hold sauce․ The suggested pasta shape for this recipe is appropriate because each bite includes tomatoes and spinach․
- Lemon juice and Dijon mustard add small amounts of acidity and other savory flavors to balance the cream without interfering with the sun-dried tomatoes․
Ingredients
- •8 oz uncooked pasta
- •2 tbsp butter
- •½ tbsp flour
- •3 cloves garlic (minced)
- •½ cup dry white wine or chicken broth
- •½ tsp Dijon mustard
- •1 tsp lemon juice
- •½ tsp Italian seasoning
- •½ cup sun-dried tomatoes (chopped or julienned; drain if packed in oil)
- •¾ cup heavy/whipping cream
- •⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- •2 cups fresh baby spinach (packed)
- •salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- 1
Boil a large pot of salted water and cook the pasta until al dente.
- 2
Meanwhile, add the butter to a skillet and melt it over medium heat.
- 3
Stir in the flour and garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
- 4
Whisk in the wine, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and Italian seasoning, then cook until reduced by half.
- 5
Add the sun-dried tomatoes and cream and let the mixture bubble for about 5 minutes.
- 6
Stir in the Parmesan, then add the spinach and let it wilt.
- 7
Toss with the cooked pasta, adding a splash of pasta water before draining if the sauce gets too thick. Season with salt and pepper as needed and serve immediately.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
519
Protein
14g
Fat
25g
Carbs
55g
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