Quick Pantry Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Burrata.
Quick Pantry Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Burrata ….for those nights when you’re craving a fresh pasta dish, but don’t feel like heading to the store. I went to my go-to pantry staple, sun-dried tomatoes, to create this quick and easy 30 minute pasta dish. I used a little garlic, chili peppers, tomato paste, and basil, to flavor the dish. Then I used the reserved pasta cooking water to create a luscious sauce. Finally, I finished each bowl of pasta off with fresh burrata cheese and a light drizzle of olive oil. Perfection.
A really good pantry pasta is truly one of my favorite dinners.
What’s a pantry pasta? Well, that’s a great question! To me, a pantry pasta is a very simple pasta dish made up of mostly pantry staple ingredients. That could be dry pasta, jarred peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, garlic, maybe a basil pesto, and so much more. With a little help from the pantry you can create a mouth-watering dinner in minutes.
It’s true. I know, because I am kind of a pro at it…
I mean, kind of, I just love throwing ingredients I have on hand together to create something awesome and easy. Today’s pasta is just that. It’s a mix of my all-time favorite pantry and fridge staple ingredients. OK, and then some burrata cheese, because if you know me even a little, you know that burrata is a staple in my fridge at all times.
Also? Let’s talk about fridge staples for a minute. Just like the pantry, you should keep your fridge stocked with certain items too. Ingredients like lemons, hard cheeses, yogurts, and root vegetables keep for weeks. So be sure to have the items you use most often on hand. Just a little Wednesday tip for ya.
Moving along…
So, as I’ve not mentioned, this pasta is quick and easy. To start, boil the pasta! I used rigatoni, but to be honest, any cut of pasta works here. I do think I prefer a short cut, but I’m sure spaghetti or bucatini would work as well. Use what you love.
While the pasta is boiling, get started on the sauce. The sun-dried tomatoes are the star ingredient, as they add the bulk of the flavor. I like to use both the tomatoes AND the oil the tomatoes are packed in to create an extra flavorful sauce. Sun-dried tomatoes are a pricy ingredient, so why not use up every last bit of that jar, you know?
To that, add in some garlic, dried oregano, and chili flakes for a nice kick.
Now, this step is important, reserve some of the pasta cooking water. The water is KEY to creating the sauce for this pasta dish, so do not skip this step. Once you’ve reserved the pasta water, drain the pasta.
Add a little bit of the reserved water to the skillet, then add the hot pasta, a little parmesan, and fresh basil (you can also use dried basil if you don’t have fresh on hand). At this point, the pasta is done and ready to be devoured.
Spoon the pasta into bowls, add burrata, and finish each bowl with a light drizzle of olive oil. Then add a sprinkle of sea salt and crushed black pepper…maybe some more basil too.
DONE.
And now you see, right? The quickest, easiest, pantry pasta that’s anything but boring.
And yes, I did use fresh basil and parsley, which are not pantry staples. BUT I do usually have both in my fridge at all times. That said, if you don’t have fresh herbs, you can also use dried, which are pantry staples!
While I can’t say I make this exact pasta weekly, I do make a version of it pretty dang often. I say version only because I never usually make the same recipe twice. Unless I’m testing it for the blog, in which case I remake it many times until it is just right. Sun-dried tomatoes are one of my most loved pantry staples. I think they add so much to a dish, so I always, always have them on hand…along with pasta and burrata cheese, because with these 3 ingredients you can do wonderful things, any night of the week.
And with that, do you have pasta? Do you have sun-dried tomatoes? Do you have burrata?
You do, right…
Great! Dinner tonight is solved. Enjoy!
If you make this quick pantry pasta, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Quick Pantry Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Burrata.
This quick and easy 30 minute pasta dish uses garlic, chili peppers, tomato paste, and basil, for delicious flavor, and is then topped with burrata for perfection!
Ingredients
- 1 pound short cut pasta
- Kosher salt
- 1 jar (8 ounce) oil pack sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped, oil reserved
- 4-6 garlic cloves, minced or grated
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
- zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 8 ounces burrata cheese cheese, torn
- fresh dill, roughly chopped, for serving
Instructions
-
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Just before draining, reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, drain the sun-dried tomato oil out into a large skillet. Reserve the tomatoes.
3. Set the skillet over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the garlic, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, 1/4 cup basil, and lemon zest. Cook 2-3 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant. Add the tomato paste, cook another minute. Stir in 3/4 cup of the reserved pasta water and bring to a simmer. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and pasta, tossing to coat. Stir in the parmesan and a pinch of pepper. Cook until warmed through, 1-2 minutes. Add the parsley and remaining 1/4 cup basil, toss until the herbs are wilted and the sauce coats the pasta, about 2-3 minutes, adding in more pasta water if needed to thin the sauce. Remove from the heat.
4. Transfer the pasta to serving bowls and top each with burrata. Drizzle with olive oil, dill, and season with salt and pepper. Enjoy!
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Healthy…ish Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars.
I’d totally eat this, but substitute the burratta for mozarella because I really don’t like burratta!!
Totally acceptable! I hope you try this Ruth! Thank you! xTieghan
This looks so delicious! I have been making a pasta dish similar to this one for quite some time now. The only difference is I use pecorino and asiago in the dish. I can’t wait to try the burrata. As always, love your dishes!
Thank you so much Joanne! I hope you love this pasta recipe! Thank you so much!
This looks AMAZING! Love, love, love sun-dried tomatoes. Definitely a save. BTW, I don’t always comment, but you ought to know I am a HUGE fan of your ideas.
Thank you so much Melinda! I hope you try this! xTieghan
I love how you use the oil from the sun dried tomato jar.
Looking forward to making this.
And I love buratta ?
Thank you so much Debbie! xTieghan
I made this for dinner tonight. It came together so quickly and was so delicious!! My daughters loved it too! I loved using up the entire jar of sundried tomatoes, as this is an ingredient that sometimes languishes half-used in my fridge. The leftovers will be perfect in my lunch tomorrow. Love your quick pasta meals. Your quick zucchini pasta is another favorite. Thank you!!
I am so glad you all loved this recipe, Janet! Thank you so much! xTieghan
I made this tonight and really enjoyed it. Didn’t have the fresh herbs; so dried it was. I do think the fresh herbs will will up the taste and freshness. I also used afew squirts of lemon juice at the end. Worked great to cut the richness. This is a definite keeper.
I am so glad you loved this recipe, Joyce! Thank you so much! xTieghan
There’s nothing better than burrata and sun-dried tomatoes – this is pasta perfection!
Right?! I am so glad you like this! Thank you Laura! xTieghan
Just made this pasta for dinner. My husband said “this is MAD GOOD!!!” High praise Tiegan. 🙂
Thank you so much Kara! I am so happy to hear that! xTieghan
VERY Flavorful and yummy. I love the spicy kick it has. I didn’t have burrata cheese so I subbed it with mozzarella. I also used fettuccine instead of the short cut pasta. Turned out SO GOOD. Can’t wait to make again. Thank you!
Thank you so much Ash! xTieghan
I always like to have lots of veggies in my pasta – have you got any suggestions of vegetables that you could add to this? Thanks.
Hi! marinated artichokes, roasted cauliflower, kale, spinach, broccoli would all be so good! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Made this last night and the flavor was amazing! But I used gluten free pasta (quinoa and brown rice pasta from TJs) and it kinda fell apart. Think using regular pasta would work better next time!
Hi Mariah! I am so glad you enjoyed this pasta! Could it be that you cooked the noodles too long? I find that with gluten free types of pasta if you overcook them just a bit they will kind of fall apart on you. xTieghan
I’m always a fan of your recipes they always turn out great for me. Do you think I could replace the Parmesan with Pecorino Romano?
HI! Yes, Pecorino will be so delicious! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Made this last night with one of my gal pals. Very tasty and easy pasta dish. It was a bit salty, so no extra salt needed! But hard to go wrong with pasta and burrata. Will definitely make again!
I am so glad you both enjoyed this, Katherine! Thank you so much! xTieghan
This was so easy and delicious! My baby loved it too.
I am so happy to hear that Barb! xTieghan
This was DELICIOUS! Could not find burrata cheese, so decided to use mozzarella pearls instead since it’s slightly similar. Such a quick, easy, yet restaurant-quality, dish. Thank you so much!
Thank you Alicia! xTieghan
Perfect pasta dish. We made fresh pasta, and used this recipe to dress it up. Hits the spot!
Thank you Olivia! xTieghan
i made this last night, substituted with mozzerella and it was SO good!! Thank you!!
Thank you so much Amanda! xTieghan
Made this for this week’s meal prep and it was basically perfect timing when the recipe was posted- I had all the ingredients already! It’s SO good and as the week goes on, it even packs more and more flavor. Love these pantry staple recipes!!! Thanks Tieghan 🙂
I am in the middle of a severe burrata obsession, so I made this over the weekend, and it was a hit with everyone! I added a bunch of baby spinach leaves for extra greens, and it worked wonderfully!
Thank you for this recipe!
Hi Maria-Elena! I am so glad you loved this recipe and it turned out amazing for you! Thank you! xTieghan
Delicious and so easy, loved by the whole family!!
Thank you Deann! I am so happy to hear that! xTieghan
Good recipe, and it was tasty, but not really sure I understand the lemon zest in this dish. It’s a bit overpowering, and doesn’t really mesh with the other ingredients in a pasta dish. If I make again I will do without the lemon zest or a lot less.
I hope you love it even more the next time, Danny! Thank you for trying this out! xTieghan
Wow! This was fabulous and different from pasta dishes I usually make! The fresh herbs, especially the dill was a wonderful addition. I never would have thought of adding dill to this. We are huge fans of Burrata so I knew I had to make this meal. Loved every bite!
Thank you so much Kerianne! So glad you loved this recipe! xTieghan
Could you please share a receipe of subdried tomatoes that really works . Also the tomato paste. Thanks a ton
Hi Priya! I am not sure what you are saying here.. sorry for the confusion! Do you have any questions on this recipe or need any help? Please let me know! xTieghan
This has become a regular go to when we need to throw something together quickly. I typically add Italian turkey or chicken sausage too it for some protein, at times we will sub truffle oil at the end and truffle burrata. YuM!
I am so glad you have been loving this recipe Evelyn! Thank you so much! I hope you continue to love my recipes! xTieghan
If I want to serve this as a side dish, do you have any recommendations for a protein that would go well with it? Or one that I can just add to the pasta?
HI! I would recommend an Italian Baked chicken OR Italian bake salmon. Either will be delicious. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
FAST and AMAZ BALLS
Thank you so much Amy!! xTieghan
Made this just now. Husband loved it! I added some kick by adding Korean chilli powder and mexican chillis chopped.
Amazing! Thank you Nanhee! xTieghan
Made this for dinner tonight. So good it was a hit with my very fussy son. Hubby also loved it too. I’ll definitely make it again. Great for Friday’s during Lent. I added a splash of white wine also.
I am so glad you both enjoyed this Rae! Thank you so much! xTieghan
This was so delicious and super easy to put together with great pantry staples! I only had about 1/4 cup of basil, but substituted and added a handful of arugula, spinach and herbs mixture that I had at the end instead and it was fantastic. Definitely will make this again!
Thank you so much Maddie! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Made this 3 times now,the family loves it!
This time around I may have added a little too much of the chilli flakes (sorry kids) but this recipe is a winner.
Thank you so much for sharing.
Chef (in my dreams) Phil.
Thank you Phil! I am glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Made this tonight! Didn’t have any cheese or fresh herbs and it still turned out phenomenal. Definitely going to be a staple !
Love to hear that! Thank you so much Jordan! xTieghan
I love this recipe!!!! I ate pasta for dinner for the first time😋😋😋😋thank you a lot for these wonderful creations❤️❤️❤️ I tried to do this recipe 😘kisses
Aw I am so glad you tried this one and loved it, Ambra! Thank you so much! xTieghan
Delicieux!!!
Thank you! xTieghan
This recipe is amazing! Thank you so much. Found it from Buzzfeed, and now can’t wait to make your other recipes! Had this one twice, and the use of the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes is so clever. The burrata is absolutely delicious in this. Excellent balance of flavors and heat 🙂
Thank you so much!! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Made it for the first time last night and everyone, including 2 picky eaters, had seconds. It’s a great recipe and has gone into our rotation. Just a short note- I didn’t have any short-cut pasta so made it with linguine. I think something like rigatoni would be better but the linguine was very good also.
I did make a few changes. First, I added a couple of tablespoons of white wine to the sauce (I had doubled the recipe) and think it gave it added depth. I also added my go-to Italian blend seasoning instead of oregano, as I love the effect it has on my dishes. Second, I just felt that the balance of flavors was perfect so didn’t add either the lemon zest or dill. It seemed like the flavors would be competing against each other instead of working together. For me, the results confirmed this, since, as I mentioned before, it was an extremely tasty pasta dish where the creamy burrata perfectly complemented the spicy sun-dried tomatoes sauce. Thanks for sharing!
Hey Barry,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it worked out for you! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Absolutely delicious!! Even my non-sauce eating husband loved it! Easy and quick, a must try!
Hey Allison,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe. That is so great the recipe was enjoyed! Happy New Year! xTieghan
Using the sun dried tomatoes AND the oil is genius, so much flavor! I’ve already bought my 2nd jar of sun dried tomatoes because I’ve been craving this dish!
Hey there,
I am so glad you have enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! Have a great week! xTieghan
I love how simple and tasty your recipes are! This didn’t disappoint either. I didn’t have burrata, so skipped that part – but had everything else and it came together so quickly. I did add spinach to make it healthier – hehe. This will definitely be added in my weekly meal rotation this week onwards!
Hey there,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thank you for making it! xTieghan
This pasta dish was fabulous! Dinner guest worthy for sure! We added a spicy crumbled sausage to the pasta. I loved the sauce I have never made it with just tomato paste & now this will be my go to! Outstanding flavors! This is our 2nd recipe we have made from your website & we agree another 5 star recipe! Can’t wait to make the sheet pan hawaiian pineapple shrimp tacos with creamy jalapeño special sauce.
Excited!
Hey Joy,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Happy Friday💕 xTieghan