Vegan Creamy Spicy Sun Dried Tomato Pasta

Pasta is one of my absolute favourite things to eat, and when I made this one, I knew I had to share.

It’s pretty much making a quick white sauce, then blending it with sun dried tomatoes which brings a burst a flavour! Adding chilli flakes gives it some heat, so you add up with a very tasty creamy and spicy sun dried tomato sauce.

As well as being vegan, this pasta recipe is:

made mostly from ingredients that you can keep in your pantry, making it easy for those nights you need to whip up a dinner last minute
quick to make, about 30 minutes (+ however long it takes to cook your pasta)
gluten free if you use gluten free pasta

A creamy spicy sun dried tomato sauce that’s simple and quick to make. Uses simple ingredients which makes it perfect for a weeknight dinner. Vegan and gluten free when using your favourite gluten free pasta.

INGREDIENTS

• 250g uncooked penne pasta
• 1 tbsp + 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 to 5 garlic cloves, minced (2 tbsp)
• 1 1/2 tbsp cornflour*
• 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 tsp salt + pepper to taste
• 1/2 + 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes (jarred in oil, with garlic and herbs included), drained from any oil
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 tsp chilli flakes, or to taste
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 to 3 big handfuls of rocket or baby spinach

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook your pasta according to the package instructions, but leave the pasta just slightly undercooked. Set aside.
2. Add 1 tbsp olive oil into a large frying pan over medium to high heat. When hot, add garlic and cook for 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Mix in cornflour and cook for a further minute. Add 1/2 tsp of salt and 1 cup of almond milk, making sure that the mixture is smooth besides the garlic. When it has thickened, add the remaining cup of almond milk. When it has thickened slightly (it will thicken further when blended), pour this into a blender.
3. Add 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, nutritional yeast and 1/3 cup water to the blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.
4. Rinse out the frying pan and heat up 1/2 tsp of oil. Cut the remaining sun dried tomatoes to be roughly 2cm pieces. Add this along with the onion to the pan and sauté for 3 minutes. Add chilli flakes and dried oregano and cook for a further minute. If it sticks to the frying pan, add a splash of water.
5. Pour the sauce into the pan, making sure the heat is low to medium to prevent it from sticking. When the sauce is heated through, add in the pasta. Add pepper to taste and any extra salt or a splash of water if needed. When the pasta is heated through, serve this on top of the greens.

NOTES

• Here in Australia, cornflour is the same as cornstarch. I know it can be called different names in other areas of the world, but you want the flour that is for thickening purposes and is white (not yellow).