Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto and Mozzarella Pearls
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
Quick, simple and family-approved — this pasta with sun-dried tomato pesto and fresh mozzarella pearls is delicious hot or cold.
Quick, simple, and family-approved, this pasta with sun-dried tomato pesto and fresh mozzarella pearls is perfect for a weeknight supper and can double as a vibrant pasta salad for a cookout. Pair it with a simple arugula salad and warm, crusty bread. For a heartier meal, grill some Italian sausages to serve alongside. The pesto makes enough for two dinners and freezes beautifully, too.
“The sun-dried tomato pesto was absolutely delicious! Hubby and I both went back for seconds and hubby is still talking about it the morning after.”
What You’ll Need To Make Pasta With Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
Step-by-Step Instructions
To begin, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. (Add enough salt so that the water tastes like the sea.) Cook the pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. You’ll need to reserve some of the cooking water for the sauce. It’s easy to forget to do this, so I always set a liquid measuring cup out as a visual reminder.
Meanwhile, make the pesto. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, combine the sun-dried tomatoes with their oil, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes, sugar, basil, pine nuts, Parmigiano-Reggiano and olive oil.
Pulse, scraping down the sides as necessary, until the mixture is finely puréed. Divide the mixture in half. Set aside.
Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water (you’ll need it for the sauce), then drain the pasta.
Add the pasta back to the pan. Add half of the pesto and stir to combine, adding the reserved pasta water little by little, until the pasta is well-coated and moistened. I usually use about 3/4 cup of the pasta water, but you may need more or less. (Refrigerate or freeze the remaining pesto for another meal.)
Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and red pepper flakes, if necessary. Right before serving, toss in 2 tablespoons chopped basil and the mozzarella pearls (it’s important to do this right before serving so the cheese doesn’t melt from the heat of the pan).
Transfer to a serving dish or pasta bowls and serve with more grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
You May Also Like
Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Mozzarella Pearls
Quick, simple and family-approved — this pasta with sun-dried tomato pesto and fresh mozzarella pearls is delicious hot or cold.
Ingredients
- 12 oz pasta, such as fusilli, penne or farfalle
- 1 (8.5-ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt, plus more for the pasta water
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves, plus more for serving
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 (8 oz) tub fresh mozzarella pearls, drained (alternatively, use a fresh mozzarella ball and cut into chunks)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. (Add enough salt so that the water tastes like the sea.) Cook the pasta according to the package instructions until al dente.
- Meanwhile, make the pesto. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, combine the sun-dried tomatoes with their oil, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes, sugar, basil, pine nuts, Parmigiano-Reggiano and olive oil. Pulse, scraping down the sides as necessary, until the mixture is finely puréed. Divide the mixture in half. Set aside.
- Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water (you'll need it for the sauce), then drain the pasta. Add the pasta back to the pan. Add half of the pesto and stir to combine, adding the reserved pasta water little by little, until the pasta is well-coated and moistened. I usually use about ¾ cup of pasta water. (Refrigerate or freeze the remaining pesto for another meal.) Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and red pepper flakes, if necessary. Right before serving, toss in 2 tablespoons chopped basil and the mozzarella pearls (it's important to do this right before serving so the cheese doesn't melt from the heat of the pan). Transfer to a serving dish or pasta bowls and serve with more grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
- Note: If you'd like to serve this pasta dish at room temperature, wait until the pasta is cool to add the mozzarella pearls.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
Powered by 
- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 697
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated fat: 10 g
- Carbohydrates: 83 g
- Sugar: 15 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 31 g
- Sodium: 533 mg
- Cholesterol: 50 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Loved it! Family loved it! Thank you!
I have a package of dried sundried tomatoes, could I soak a certain amount of these in good quality olive oil to approximate packed in oil?
Sue, Lisa, I think that should work. Enjoy!
Thank you! Wonderful, flavourful recipe. I didn’t have pine nuts so used almonds instead. Even my 8 year old loved it!
This is delicious and was so easy! Def one I will come back to. You never disappoint 🙂
❤️
What is the recommendation for using frozen left overs? Do you de thaw in fridge or set chair in warm water?
I’d thaw in the fridge. 🙂
If you want to use the frozen pesto, how do you recommend warming up prior to adding to pasta?
Hi Francis, You can heat it up gently in the microwave. Hope that helps!
Could I use walnuts instead of pine nuts (as I already have them from the green pesto dish—LOVED) or do you think the pine nut flavor is more complimentary for this dish? Thanks so much (I have made 5+ dishes from you and you make me enjoy cooking)!
Sorry for the repeat question I scrolled far enough and saw you already told someone yes!
I love this recipe. The pesto can be made a day or two ahead, stored in the refrig until you are ready to make the dish. I also love this pesto spread on bread, toast, crackers or I spread it on celery. I am addicted to the pesto. Jenn’s cookbook and site are my first stop for delicious recipes.💕
What can I substitute mozzarella pearls with? I would like to keep the Parmigiano-Reggiano. I think my guests may not want too much cheese. What do you recommend? I want to make it this Sunday. Thanks.
Hi Upasana, I would just leave them out; it will still be delicious.
Hi Upsana, you could brown some Italian sausages and serve it mixed in or alongside the pasta. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jen,
I’m thinking about making this for a potluck cookout so wanted to know if I could make it the night before then add mozzarella and basil next day at mealtime. I know you said it’s good room temp, but can it be refrigerated overnight and served cold?
Hi Kelly, It’s fine to make a day ahead and refrigerate but I’d let it sit out a bit before serving to take the chill off. Hope that helps!