Name: Sun Dried Tomato Pasta
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Creamy Sauce:; 3/4 cup (tightly packed) sun dried tomatoes, roughly chopped (Note 1) + more for garnish; 1/2 cup basil leaves , lightly packed; 1/4 cup yoghurt or sour cream (optional) (Note 2); 1/4 cup cream (Note 3); 1 3/4 cups milk (I use low fat); 1 tbsp tomato paste (optional) (Note 4); 1/4 cup parmesan cheese , finely grated; 1/2 tsp salt; Pepper; Pasta:; 300 g pasta of choice (I like penne/ziti); 1 tbsp oil from sun dried tomatoes; 2 garlic cloves , crushed; 1 small onion , finely diced (brown, white or yellow); 4 cups (tightly packed) finely shredded fresh English spinach; To Serve (optional):; Parmesan cheese; Fresh basil , finely shredded

1. You can use sun dried tomatoes that come in oil, or even the ones that do not come in oil. Shake off excess oil if you are using the sun dried tomatoes that come in oil.

2. The yoghurt/sour cream cuts through the richness a bit and is also a thickener. Without it, I find that the sauce is a wee bit too creamy. But this is optional. If you don't have yoghurt or sour cream on hand, a squeeze of lemon juice would suffice but to keep the balance of creaminess in the sauce, I would add more cream.

3. If you want to indulge, feel free to increase the amount of cream in this and decrease the amount of milk by the same amount.

4. The tomato paste is mainly for colour. It is a bit of a thickener as well, but it's not critical. So feel free to omit it if you want.

5. The starchy water that the pasta was cooked in reacts with the oil in the Creamy Sauce when cooked over heat to magically transform into a glossy, silky sauce that clings to the pasta. This magic process is called emulsification and it's the secret to how Italians make simple pastas taste so gourmet!

6.Nutrition per serving, assuming this serves 4.

Sun Dried Tomato Pasta

Ingredients

Creamy Sauce

Pasta

To Serve (optional)

Steps

Notes

Nutrition Facts