Spinach Sun Dried Tomato Pasta

Spinach sun dried tomato pasta bursts with flavor, is simple to make and is even great leftover and cold!  Fresh baby spinach and angel hair pasta are tossed together in a sauce made from jarred sun dried tomatoes, garlic, and white wine.  Start to finish, this is done within 30 minutes making it perfect for weeknights!

Pasta with sundried tomatoes and spinach has become a go-to in our home.  

Not only does it offer the winning combo of spinach and sun dried tomatoes, such as in our creamy sun dried tomato chicken, but this pasta is also perfect for weeknights.

I often refer to this as our Thursday night pasta for a few reasons:

1. Because by the time Thursday night comes around, I'm exhausted and just want something easy but also healthy-ish.
2. It's the perfect pasta to send with the kids for lunch because it's also good served cold.  By Thursday we're usually out of the week's cold cuts and I need to send them with something!
3. Spinach sun dried tomato angel hair requires just a few ingredients that we always have on hand in our house so no running to the grocery store is needed.

But really, this is perfect for any night of the week when you just want something EASY and budget-friendly without sacrificing flavor.

How to make it

Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.

1. Bring a large pot of salted water (2 tablespoons kosher salt per gallon of water) to boil.  Drain one 10 or 12-ounce jar of sun dried tomatoes (reserve the oil) and slice.  Also, slice 6 cloves of garlic.  Note: The reserved oil can be used in place or in addition to the extra virgin olive oil in the next step.  The reserved oil will give a stronger sun dried tomato flavor.

2. Sautee the garlic in a half cup of extra virgin olive oil over medium-low heat until golden (about 2-3 minutes) and then add a ½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes.
3. Cook for 30 seconds more then add in the sun dried tomatoes.  

4. Cook for 1 minute then add 1 cup of dry white wine and turn the heat to medium-high.  Once the liquid reduces by half turn down the heat to a low simmer.  At this point boil the angel hair pasta.  Angel hair cooks in only a couple of minutes.  Taste test, making sure to remove the pasta once it is not quite al dente.  Also reserve 3 cups of pasta water before draining.
5. Add 1 cup of reserved pasta water to the pan along with the angel hair pasta.  Mix together or toss to coat.  Taste test and once the pasta is al dente remove the pan from the heat immediately.

6. Add salt and pepper to taste.  You might need a good amount of salt here, so don't be shy. Also, add in 8-ounces of baby spinach and a ¼ cup of hand-torn basil leaves.  The residual heat of the pasta will wilt the spinach.  Angel hair will suck up a lot of the liquid, so use that extra pasta water, a few ounces at a time to get the consistency just right.  Serve each plate with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or the extra sun dried tomato oil along with grated Pecorino or parmesan.  Enjoy!

Top tips for perfect spinach sun dried tomato pasta

• The sun dried tomatoes.  I highly recommend using jarred sun dried tomatoes for this recipe.  They are more flavorful and you can use their oil to ratchet up the flavor by subbing it for some of the extra virgin olive oil, or by finishing each plate with a drizzle.  
• The pasta.  While you can use any long pasta you like, I personally prefer to use angel hair for this recipe - since it cooks in a fraction of the time, it adds to the simplicity of this dish, and I really enjoy its texture.  If you choose to use angel hair, be mindful of the time in which it cooks.  Angel hair is usually al dente within about 2 minutes so be sure to remove it from the water before it overcooks and becomes mushy.
• Add ins.  There are plenty of add in options for pasta with sun dried tomatoes and spinach.  Anchovy, fresh mozzarella, chick peas, ricotta salata, or olives would all be great.  Experiment and make it your own!
• The wine.  This recipe calls for a cup of dry white wine, such as a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio.  If you prefer to not use wine you can substitute with low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth.
• Leftovers.  This is definitely a dish I love to eat leftover.  It's perfect served at room temperature, or even cold.  As I mentioned before it makes a great lunch to send with kids to school, or to take to work.  I'll usually add another drizzle of extra virgin olive oil before I eat it leftover. Leftovers are good for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

More simple pastas for lazy weeknights

If you're always on the go with limited time but still don't want to cave to the temptation of ordering food, check out a few of these recipes that have become regulars in our home.

• Red pesto pasta - Easy creamy sun dried tomato and pine nut sauce that can be on the table in 20 minutes.
• Spicy pepper bucatini - Long hot, cubanelle, and bell peppers combine with canned tomatoes to make this super easy spicy pasta.
• Fettucine Alfredo - Butter and Parmigiano Reggiano tossed with pasta.  It doesn't get easier than this.
• Lemon arugula pasta - Lemon juice and zest tossed with fresh arugula, pasta, and shaved Parmigiano Reggiano.
• Linguine aglio e oglio - Pasta with garlic, oil, red pepper flakes, and parsley.  EASY!
• Easy marinara sauce - Canned tomatoes, garlic, and basil.
• Caprese pasta - Linguine with cherry tomatoes, garlic, fresh mozzarella, and basil.

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