Spicy Olive Oil Pasta with Sun Dried Tomatoes

I didn’t learn about oil-packed sun dried tomatoes until my late twenties, and when I did, it changed my weeknight pasta game completely. Before that, I thought sun dried tomatoes were those chewy, leathery things that came in plastic bags and needed to be rehydrated. Turns out, the ones that come packed in olive oil are a different story altogether.

This pasta is what I make when I need dinner on the table in twenty minutes and want it to taste like I actually tried. You’re basically just tossing hot pasta with garlic, sun dried tomatoes, good olive oil, and a pinch of red pepper. That’s it. No cream sauce to stir, no complicated steps to mess up. The oil from the tomatoes mixes with the pasta water and creates its own sauce, which sounds too easy to be good, but somehow it works every time.

What Kind of Sun Dried Tomatoes Should I Use?

You’ll find sun dried tomatoes sold two ways at the grocery store: packed in oil or dried in bags. For this recipe, the oil-packed variety is your best bet since they’re already soft and ready to use right out of the jar. The dry-packed ones will work too, but you’ll need to rehydrate them in warm water for about 15-20 minutes before chopping. When buying oil-packed sun dried tomatoes, make sure to drain them well before adding to your pasta, though you can save that flavorful oil for other cooking projects. Look for tomatoes that are deep red in color and avoid any that look overly dark or have an off smell.

Options for Substitutions

This simple pasta dish is easy to customize with what you have in your kitchen:

• Spaghetti: Any long pasta works great here – try linguine, fettuccine, or bucatini. You can also use shorter pasta like penne or rigatoni, though the sauce coats long pasta a bit better.
• Sun dried tomatoes: If you don’t have sun dried tomatoes, you can use cherry tomatoes instead. Just halve about 1 cup of them and sauté until they start to break down and release their juices.
• Fresh chili pepper: Red pepper flakes are a perfect substitute – start with 1/4 teaspoon and adjust to your heat preference. You can also use a pinch of cayenne pepper.
• Parsley: Fresh basil makes a nice swap and pairs really well with the tomatoes. You could also use a mix of both herbs if you have them on hand.
• Extra virgin olive oil: This is one ingredient you shouldn’t substitute since it’s the base of the sauce and provides most of the flavor. Regular olive oil or other oils won’t give you the same taste.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake people make with this simple pasta is burning the garlic, which happens fast since you’re cooking it in oil over direct heat – keep the temperature at medium-low and remove the pan from heat the moment the garlic turns golden, not brown.

Another common error is not saving enough pasta water before draining, so make sure to reserve at least a cup of that starchy liquid to help create a silky sauce that clings to the spaghetti.

Don’t add the sun dried tomatoes too early in the cooking process, as they can become tough and chewy – toss them in during the last minute or two so they just warm through and release their flavor.

Finally, resist the urge to rinse your cooked pasta, which washes away the starch that helps the olive oil and other ingredients stick to each strand.

What to Serve With Olive Oil Pasta?

This simple pasta is perfect on its own, but I love pairing it with a crisp Caesar salad or a basic arugula salad with lemon and shaved parmesan. A side of garlic bread or focaccia is always a good call for soaking up any extra olive oil left on your plate. If you want to make it more filling, add some grilled chicken, shrimp, or white beans right into the pasta, or serve it alongside roasted vegetables like zucchini or bell peppers. A glass of white wine and you’ve got yourself an easy weeknight dinner that feels a bit fancy.

Storage Instructions

Store: This pasta is best enjoyed fresh, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The pasta might absorb some of the olive oil as it sits, so you may want to drizzle a little extra when you reheat it to bring back that silky texture.

Reheat: Warm up your pasta in a skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of water or a drizzle of olive oil to loosen it up. You can also microwave it, but I find the stovetop method keeps the texture better and helps the garlic flavor come back to life.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 500-570
• Protein: 12-16 g
• Fat: 18-24 g
• Carbohydrates: 68-76 g

Ingredients

• 1 garlic clove (minced)
• 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes (oil-packed preferred)
• chili pepper to taste (red pepper flakes work well)
• 1 lb spaghetti
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (I use Bariani for its buttery flavor)
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsp parsley (fresh and finely chopped)

Step 1: Prepare Aromatics and Water for Pasta

• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tbsp parsley
• salt to taste

First, get your mise en place ready.

Mince the garlic and chop the fresh parsley.

Then, fill a large pot with water and bring it to a rolling boil.

Adding salt at this stage will season the pasta from within and raise the boiling point slightly, making for more efficient cooking.

I always season my pasta water until it tastes like the sea.

Step 2: Sauté Aromatics and Sun Dried Tomatoes

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove
• chili pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes

While the water heats, warm the extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet or pan over medium-low heat.

Add the minced garlic and chili pepper to the pan, cooking gently until the garlic is fragrant but not browned, which usually takes about 1-2 minutes.

Then, add the sun dried tomatoes and continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes, allowing their flavors to meld and infuse the oil.

Step 3: Cook Pasta and Finish in Sauce

• 1 lb spaghetti
• salt to taste

Once the water is boiling, add the spaghetti and cook it until it’s very al dente, meaning it’s almost done but still has a firm bite.

This is crucial because it will finish cooking in the sauce.

Before draining, reserve about 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water.

Transfer the spaghetti directly into the pan with the sun dried tomato mixture, adding 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the reserved pasta water.

Step 4: Emulsify and Serve

• 2 tbsp parsley
• salt to taste

Stir the pasta vigorously in the pan over medium heat, allowing it to absorb the sauce and the starchy pasta water to emulsify with the olive oil.

This creates a glossy, flavorful coating on the pasta.

Continue cooking until the water is mostly absorbed and the pasta is perfectly al dente.

For best results, I give it a final toss off the heat with the fresh parsley right before serving.