Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta (Vegan + GF)

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Plate of Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta for a simple gluten-free vegan meal

It’s getting to be that time of year when dinners are meant to be eaten on patios and lunches should be consumed in parks and on beaches. For such weather, I have just the thing:

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta! Hello, spring.

Wood platter with sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, gluten-free fusili, garlic, basil, and nutritional yeast

Origins of Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Sun-dried tomatoes are a common ingredient in Italian cuisine. Italians originally dried tomatoes on their ceramic rooftops. And it’s thought that the technique may even date as far back 700 AD when Aztecs would salt and dry tomatoes in the sun to preserve their freshness (source). Whoever came up with the brilliant idea, we’re grateful!

Blender with ingredients for making Vegan Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

How to Make Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta

If you’re a lover of simple pasta, you’re going to love this recipe.

It’s big on flavor and short on time and both vegan and gluten free! Plus, from start to finish it requires about 20 minutes and just 6 ingredients! In my world, it doesn’t get much better than that.

While your (gluten-free) pasta is boiling just blitz your sun-dried tomatoes with olive oil, garlic, vegan parmesan, fresh basil, and salt + pepper.

Small bowl filled with our simple Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

In a matter of minutes you have a dairy-free pesto that’s ideal for pastas, bread dipping, sandwich spreading, and even salad topping. You’ve gotta love a sauce that can multitask. 

I think you guys are going to LOVE this pasta! It’s:

Super flavorful
Savory
Fresh
Simple
Satisfying
& perfect for warmer weather

Why warmer weather you ask? Eat it hot, eat it cold, eat it lukewarm – it’s still delicious. This makes it perfect for picnics, road trips, and beach days.

Mixing gluten-free noodles and vegan Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto in a mixing bowl

If you try this recipe, let us know what you think! Leave a comment and rate it! And don’t forget to take a picture and tag it #minimalistbaker on Instagram so we can be pasta pals. Cheers!

Dinner plate filled with our delicious and simple Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta
Simple gluten-free vegan dinner of our Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta recipe

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta (V + GF)

Simple, 6-ingredient Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta that comes together in 20 minutes! An easy, healthy vegan, gluten-free lunch or dinner.
Author Minimalist Baker
Print
Big plate of Gluten-Free Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta topped with fresh basil
4.89 from 54 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 3
Course Entrée
Cuisine Gluten-Free, Italian-Inspired, Latin-Inspired, Vegan
Freezer Friendly No
Does it keep? 3-4 Days

Ingredients

  • 10 ounces gluten-free pasta (such as fusilli // or sub whole wheat)*
  • 3 ounces sun-dried tomatoes (1 cup yield ~3 ounces)
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil*
  • 1 cup fresh basil (plus more for serving)
  • 2-4 cloves garlic
  • 2 Tbsp Vegan Parmesan Cheese (plus more for serving)

Instructions

  • Boil water, add salt, and then add pasta. Cook according to package instructions. Pasta with grooves is best.
  • Add sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, basil, garlic (starting with lesser amount), and vegan parmesan cheese to a food processor or high-speed blender and puree into a pesto-like consistency.
  • If it has trouble mixing, add a bit of hot pasta water (2-3 Tbsp // amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) to help encourage it along. It doesn’t need to be finely pureed, just well mixed. I think a bit of texture is a good thing in this dish. Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more garlic for zing, basil for herbiness, or vegan parmesan cheese for cheesiness.
  • Add drained pasta back to the pot you cooked it in and add pesto. Toss to coat and season with a bit more olive oil and vegan parmesan.
  • Serve warm with additional fresh basil and vegan parmesan cheese. Store covered in the fridge for up to a few days, though best when fresh.
  • This can be enjoyed hot, slightly chilled or at room temperature, making it ideal for picnics and take-along lunches!

Notes

*For my pasta, I used the gluten-free quinoa brown rice pasta from Trader Joe’s and it’s seriously delicious and undetectably gluten-free!
*If your sun-dried tomatoes are in oil, omit the extra olive oil.
*Loosely adapted from Giada de Laurentis.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.

Nutrition (1 of 3 servings)

Serving: 1 serving Calories: 594 Carbohydrates: 78 g Protein: 14.5 g Fat: 25 g Saturated Fat: 4.2 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 271 mg Fiber: 10.4 g Sugar: 2 g

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  1. Alice says

    Hi. I made this two days ago and it was delicious! One small thing I might modify next time though would be to add some salt to the pesto before I add it to the pasta as my husband likes his food saltier. He said the original taste was delicious though.
    I have a question too. My basil plant is produced tons of leaves this summer and I’m wondering if I can make a big batch of this pesto and freeze it for later use? Tks!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you enjoy the recipe, Alice! Thank you for sharing! We haven’t tested freezing the pesto, but it should work well. Let us know if you try it!

  2. Angie says

    Hi there, Is there an easy way to measure/weigh the sun-dried tomatoes? I don’t have a food scale so ounces aren’t an option. How do I measure 1 cup? Do I squish them down into the cup or just let them sit lightly in the measuring cup? (I’ve bought them sort of in bulk form at a food market.) Thanks.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Angie, we’d suggest starting with an amount that is sitting lightly in the measuring cup. You can then taste and add more to preference. Hope that helps!

  3. Amanda Lee says

    I made this and it was excellent! I had a can of artichoke hearts so I chopped them up and threw them in as well. I also added a bit of harissa to the pesto to give it a kick. I’ll definitely be making this again!