One Pot Sun-Dried Tomato Alfredo

Sun-dried tomato alfredo is a one-pot dream that comes together in less than 15 minutes, is hearty and satisfying, and guaranteed to be a family favorite.  

This recipe is a twist on my original one-pot alfredo and adds the sweet and bright flavor of tomatoes with a pantry staple: sun-dried tomatoes. This recipe, using Barilla Plus Protein Pasta, is only 8 WW SP a serving for 9oz., and it’s totally indulgent and creamy. If you are on WW Purple, substitute for whole wheat pasta for a 2 WW SP serving.

I never had sun dried tomatoes growing up.  The only time I even came across them was when we went to the King of Prussia Mall (aka the fancy mall) and ate the free sample pasta from the food court bistro (clearly the fanciest of all food court shops).  

I’m not kidding--I thought they were the height of luxury because we never actually ate at that bistro shop only tried the samples. I still think sun dried tomatoes are classy as heck. If you’ve never tried them before because you too thought they were out of your league classy, they are super easy to work with and pretty cheap.

Oil Packed vs. Dry Sundried Tomatoes

Sun-dried tomatoes are always in my pantry these days.  For this recipe, I use dry sun dried tomatoes--not the kind packed in oil. I buy them from Whole Foods or Trader Joes, and they are great in cream sauces like this because of how much flavor they add to a dish.  

You’ll find sun dried tomatoes two ways in the supermarket--dry or packed in oil.  Both are great, however for WW purposes, I use dry since they are zero points. The oil packed ones are unbelievably delicious because, well, oil.  

Dry packed sun dried tomatoes need to be rehydrated.  They are chewy like dried fruit, but unlike dried fruit, they are zero points. Cooking them in the cashew milk rehydrates them while infusing the cashew milk with the bright, tomato flavor.

You can use the oil in a marinade or salad dressing, but my favorite way to use them is to add both tomatoes and oil to fresh pasta with a little bit of cheese.  The tomatoes packed in oil are preserved differently so they are good to go right away, and can be easily added to salads, pastas, etc.

How to make one pot alfredo

I start this sun-dried tomato alfredo the same way I start my one pot alfredo, with a little bit of garlic cooked for about 30 seconds before adding the cashew milk.  It’s just enough garlic flavor to make this not a one-note cheese dish.

You’re going to boil the pasta directly in the cashew milk and sun-dried tomatoes.  I do 6 of the seven cups of cashew milk for one box of pasta, but you can use half chicken stock.

Once the pasta is just slightly undercooked (about 6 minutes), you’re going to add the tomato paste and cup of cashew milk mixed with the flour.  The already thickening sauce will get much thicker as the flour cooks.

First, add the cream cheese. It’s my secret for all creamy sauces like mac and cheese. Once that’s melted, make it rain parmesan. 4 oz of freshly grated parmesan seems like a lot, but it tastes incredible so don’t skimp.  

If your sauce gets a little too thick, feel free to add a little more cashew milk. The sauce can thicken quickly. You may need to thin out with 1 more cup of cashew milk or regular milk.

Season with salt at the end--parmesan can be salty.

Depending on your salt preference, you may want to add a little bit of salt at the end; because sun dried tomatoes and tomato paste add a layer of sweetness, I added about ½ tbsp of salt.  

Taste the sauce then make your decision. I say to do this at the very end because parmesan is a salty cheese. Wait until everything is mixed, taste, and decide then.

Yield: 8

One Pot Sun-Dried Tomato Alfredo

Print

Done in 15 minutes, this sun-dried tomato alfredo is a fresh twist on a comfort food classic.  This creamy tomato pasta is a one-dish that your family will love.  This is an indulgent but calorie and point friendly pasta dish perfect for any weeknight.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 14.5 oz Barilla Plus Protein Pasta (one box) or 16oz whole wheat pasta
• 7 cups cashew milk unsweetened
• 4 oz parmesan freshly grated
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 3 oz sun-dried tomatoes (dry--not packed in oil)
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 oz 1/3 fat cream cheese
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• kosher salt & pepper
• parsley (for garnish and optional)

Instructions

1. Spray a pan with cooking spray and saute garlic for about 30 seconds. Add 6 cups of cashew milk and bring to a boil.
2. Once cashew milk is boiling, add pasta and the sun-dried tomatoes and cook about 2 minutes under the box’s directions. Reduce heat to low once cooked.
3. Combined flour and remaining cup of cashew milk. Stir well with a fork, or combine in a jar and shake to mix. Pour flour + milk combo into pasta.
4. Add cream cheese and tomato paste and mix until melted.
5. Stir parmesan into the pasta until fully melted.
6. Taste sauce and add salt and pepper depending on taste preference--I added a big pinch of kosher salt.  Garnish with some fresh parsley if you're feeling extra fancy.

Notes

The sauce can thicken quickly if you leave it simmering too long. You can easily thin it out with more cashew milk, chicken stock, or regular milk.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

9 oz.
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 254Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 300mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 5gSugar: 3gProtein: 13g

Nutrition information is calculated using Barilla Protein Plus Pasta.

As always, I love seeing you all make my recipes! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @dwardcooks and use the hashtag #dwardcooks.

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