Penne with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

penne pasta

sun-dried tomatoes

garlic

Salt and black pepper

basil leaves

Parmesan

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, blend the sun-dried tomatoes and their oil, garlic, salt and pepper, to taste, and basil in a food processor and blend until the tomatoes are finely chopped. Transfer the tomato mixture to a large bowl. Stir in the Parmesan.

Add the pasta to the pesto and toss to coat, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Season the pasta, to taste, with salt and pepper and serve.

I always like a bit of a caper briny taste so I always add a teaspoon of capers with brine to my mix.  Also put in 1/2 tsp Calabrian chili paste in as well.  Really gives it a little bit of a bite 

We added cooked shrimp. Fourth time we’ve made this recipe. One of our favorites!

Very good and simple! Might add some chicken or mushrooms to make it more filling. 

So much flavor. I loved this recipe &amp; it satisfied a finicky eater (my husband) more importantly😏It was super fast &amp; easy:)

I love the sweetness of sun-dried tomatoes.  This dish is quick, easy and full of flavor. 

I have made this a few times. Followed exactly on first try. It seemed to oily for our liking. The next time I didn’t use all the oil in the sundried tomato jar and it was better. Also, I happened to have ricotta cheese the 2nd time I made it &amp; mixed a little into individual plate-it was really good. 

Have made this several times . Always has turned out wonderful. Family favorite 

This was good but one cup of cooking liquid wasn’t enough to loosen the pasta and I ran out so it was a bit thick.  Tasty but would have been better thinner 

Family loved it …. And their picky eaters 

This is amazing. Definitely a regular meal plan for this home.  

Delicious, quick and a huge hit with the whole family. I have four picky kids and they all loved it!

Delicious and easy! My family loved,loved it (Even my picky eater,Matthew.)

This recipe is quick and easy, so it’s wonderful for a busy weeknight. I definitely recommend tasting and seasoning as you go so that the pesto does not turn out bland as some reviewers mentioned. I added Italian sausage to this and it elevated the recipe so much! If you’re looking for something simple, go for it!

SO easy to make and really delicious, it’s one of my go to recipes for a great dinner that everyone will like 

Delicious, easy, light pasta recipe. I fidgeted with the proportions a bit to have the sundried tomatoes be the star instead of the basil. I will definitely be making again!

Love this recipe.  So quick for a weeknight dinner.  Followed the recipe exactly and everyone loves it. 

This is a super easy, low ingredient recipe - which always helps for a last minute dinner. However don’t let the ease fool you as it’s not for new cooks, which is why I think there are reviews calling it bland or tasteless - it takes experience to season it “to taste” and moderate amount of pasta water or cheese. 

Nice change up for a evening dinner with the wife . Will make it again . Thank you 

Pretty good and easy recipe but the aftertaste lingered. I love garlic but I think two cloves is too much. Good overall through 

Was very excited for this recipe but was disappointed.

Delicious! Easy and loved by the whole family :)

This was incredibly easy to make and tasted delicious!! I would highly recommend!! 

Super easy and quick! Added broccoli &amp; ground beef for the kids. Wish there was a little more info on how much salt &amp; pepper to add for novice cooks like myself. Over all It was very yum &amp; a hit with my family! 

I usually like sun-dried tomatoes, but didn't love this dish. It wasn't fresh tasting at all. I put in plenty of basil, but it was lost in the tomatoes.  A splash of lemon might have been helpful to brighten up the flavors a little.

It is a very good recipe and it is  very yummy.

This is a family favorite.  You can use with any kind of pasta.  I made with spaghetti and shrimp last night, left the cheese out but kids could add it.  So easy and delicious!

This was tasty but I had an issue with the pesto wanting to clump rather than clinging to the penne. The pasta water helped.

For those who mentioned this recipe tasted bland, the problem may be the size of the pasta itself.  Having made this mistake myself with puttanesca sauce, I used thin spaghetti instead. Undercook al dente spaghetti by a couple minutes, mix with a slightly thinned sauce and let the sauced pasta sit in a warm, covered pot a few minutes. The flavors will absorb and eliminate that pasty blandness of plain semolina noodles.

Fairly quick and easy to make! Very good ! Fresh basil is life! 

Well as far as taste goes it was delicious. I used sun dried tomatoes in olive oil with herbs and followed the recipe as written. My only problem was that I found the sauce a bit clunky and even with adding the water it just did not get the right consistency. Will definitely make this again but think I will blend up all ingredients except the olive oil and will add that to the mixture with the motor running like you do when you make regular basil pesto. Think that might help smooth it out a tad. Other than that it’s a great recipe.

easy and delicious. reserved some of the pesto for turkey sandwiches on baguette. will also make crostini. perfect for a summer evening!

Unfortunately we did not like this recipe. I was excited to make it because it looked easy and had so many great reviews.  I used fresh ingredients, and the only thing I did different was add Italian sausage.  We ate it but threw the leftovers away and we don't typically throw food away. 

Don't pay attention to the few negative reviews. These people obviously don't know what good food is - ie, they probably eat boxed, prepackaged garbage food. This recipe was DELICIOUS. 

Love this recipe, so simple, but so good, added Italian Sausage, because Meat FTW!

So good. Used dried basil and it came out amazing. Can’t wait to make with fresh basil.

This is a super delicious and incredibly easy recipe!! I transferred the tomato-basil mixture into a sauté pan set to low heat instead of a bowl, and let it warm for a few minutes while the pasta finished cooking. Then, I added the pasta to the sauté pan and the cheese (use parm or goat cheese, both are great), and dinner was ready. We will definitely make this again soon!

Garlic flavor is very strong because it is raw garlic. Be careful unless you really love garlic. The rest of the flavor was pretty good. And yes it was incredibly easy. 

It was so easy to make and my family loved it. All the flavors are amazing!!

This has become a weekly staple in our house. So simple and delicious!

Absolutely loved this recipe!  So quick and easy to make.

Is there a way to respond to someone’s review? Tiffany C if u are listening this recipe perfect and easy. It can’t be any easier. If u didn’t like it then u don’t pesto and/or sun dried tomatoes. It’s that simple. A go to fave at my house !

Ok, I really hope that unlike me, you actually listen to the bad reviews, heed their warnings and never, ever attempt to make this horrific meal. It is flavorless. And yes, of course I added pasta water, I added additional spices, nothing helps it. It is so incredibly bland. Lots of people gave bad reviews, but I listened to the good reviews instead because it seemed quick and easy. Stupid me. Total waste of time, money, &amp; energy and now I have nothing to eat. So annoyed. I actually signed up for a Food Network account just so I could write this review. 

I agree with Bernice E. :) it's been a go to of ours now 3 weeks in a row!  Easy and everyone enjoys it.  We use a whole grain penne pasta and yes the next day and even cold it tastes delish! (Caught my attention since it pairs nicely with Pinot Grigio)

I found this recipe easy, quick and delish.  I don't know why some of you say it's terrible, you may need to make sure you are following correctly.  I used 16oz of pasta instead of 12, and a bit more cheese but, this taste even better the next day. 

Most of her recipes are old recipes found online from well before she was "famous".  This one is terrible however.  

It was delicious and reminded me of Le Madeleine's bowtie pasta in Dallas, TX. I'm a super picky eater but now have a new favorite for our meals. Thanks for sharing.

I made this today with basil from the garden, grilled shrimps and homemade pasta!!! Fabulous !!! 

I've made many Giada recipes over the years - never had one that was a bomb until this recipe. Don't understand the great reviews. The sauce was heavy and oily - and yes, I did add pasta water - lots of it. The raw garlic flavor was overwhelming. My husband and I ate a few bites and the entire pasta bowl went into the trash. Such a waste!!

Please always include nutritional information.

i like to see the food neck work because it gives me a lot of great ideas.

After I ate this I could suddenly speak Italian.  fantastico!

This is very good , but because its a "raw" sauce you must use high quality ingredients .

Very good flavor!! The easiest and fastest dish I have ever made. I will definitely make it again :)

Very tasty and easy to make.  I added grilled chicken tenders with Italian seasoning for a complete meal.

This recipe is amazing just for the sundried tomato pesto alone. I loved it. I used goat feta instead of parmesan cheese, brown rice pasta cut with roasted cauliflower to lighten things up. VERY filling, and VERY satisfying! I will make this delicious and super easy pesto time and time again. Thank you Giada!

Very good.  Added some pine nuts to the pesto but otherwise stuck to the recipe.  Next time might up the garlic and cheese. And as with any pesto, a little goes a long way.  The sweetness of the sun dried tomato and basil might be a bit cloying for some.

This recipe is so easy and delicious. I highly recommend it. If you don't have a food processor, a blender will work just as well. Use a little bit of the water saved from draining the pasta so it will blend a little easier. Thanks, Giada!

Very yummy!! Made this plenty of times.  I just add a little more cheese for my preference! :)

I thought this would be a great because I love all of the individual ingredients.  Unfortunately, the end result had sort of an off flavor.  My husband and son liked it ok, and it was easy.  I do not know that I will make it again.

Tasty and very easy ti prepare with only a few ingredients!  I added some hot pepper flakes, served with a simple salad and olive oil toasted bread!

Yummy and filling.  Will keep on hand when hosting a dinner party

I absolutely loved this recipe!  It takes only a few ingredients and was very easy and quick to put together.  I also added some cubed mozzarella cheese for more color &amp; taste.  I even used whole wheat penne to create a healthier pasta dish.  It was truly delicious!  Another great one Giada!! bravo!

Such great depth of flavor with only a few ingredients! I halved the recipe for just a one serving light lunch and it was filling and delicious!

This is an elegant dish. Just add a salad, bruschetta, and a great wine to entertain in style. The most ardent meat lovers won't realize they just had a vegetarian dish! For variety this is great with grilled chicken breast, grilled salmon, or a gourmet precooked sausage such as Cantella's. I cut back on the amount of oil, using only 1/4 of the oil in the jar, then adding slightly more to taste. Make sure to set aside at least one cup of the pasta water - it is crucial!!! Also, you cannot use parmesan that comes in a shaker can, use the real thing from a wedge. Reggiano is best and expensive, but any wedge of "parmesan" will make a great dish. I've served this so many times now and people just rave and rave. Those who ask for the recipe can't believe how easy it is!

For the minimal effort required, this is a very good recipe. 

This recipe certainly lived up to it's 5 star rating.  It was absolutely wonderful! I topped the pasta with strips of pan seared, then roasted, chicken breast. I paired it with roasted zucchini and yellow squash. I will definitely make this dish again.  Thank you Giada!

So simple and so delicious!  Great flavor and not heavy at all. Suggested wine pairing worked beautifully as well. 

Very delicious! So easy to make with great flavors all coming together.  DEFINITELY a keeper! :   

This is a super simple and very tasty dish. The one negative is that sun dried tomatoes in olive oil are very expensive, like $7/bottle in California. I googled how to make them. I went heavy on garlic and cheese and even as I do not like pesto, this is a fantastic pasta dish.

Very yummy as a side dish, although my son thought it had too much garlic, haha. Easy to adjust.

I made this for a picnic party, and it was a big hit! Definitely will make this again!

Nothing overly special, but it is super quick and easy.  I would probably make again for an easy weeknight meal.

I made this dish a few weeks ago for my husband, son and myself. It had such great flavor. We all loved it. However, my husband being the "meat and potatoes" kind of guy sat down and said "wheres the meat in it?" I plan of making this again tonight. But I will brown up some Italian sauages and serving them on the side. Personally, I like it without the meat. Thank you Giada... I always love everything that I made from your show.  Beth  North Port, FL

Kids loved it and they are very picky when it comes to meals. Served it with a couscous dish and braised chicken , worked out excellent. Will be on my list of quick meals from now on.

So easy to put together but the family adored it!  A keeper to be sure and it has to be super healthy!!

Very tasty! It's my sons favorite recipe. He asks for it often. Thanks Giada for an easy and delicious pasta dish :-

Even after all the reviews, we decided to do it as stated and found it to be insanely easy and very tasty.  

I give it a 3.5, but I guess I am rounding it up to a 4 because they dont let you use halves. I made this and thought it was ok, nothing to really take a picture of and put on instagram lol. I would say its a serviceable meal that you can eat on a lazy wednesday to take to work the next day, but nothing I would cook for a date. I think this recipe needs something sweet to balance the taste of the sun-dried tomatoes...but maybe that's just me.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/apps/api/playback?path=/etc/sni-asset/food/videos/0/01/016/0169/0169073

Sun-dried tomato pesto with basil makes an easy, tasty sauce for penne.

penne with sun-dried tomato pesto

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total: 25 minutes

Servings: 4

Author : Giada De Laurentiis Bio & Top Recipes

Ingredients

Instructions

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