Ingredients

The following ingredients have 8 Servings
  • 1 pound dried penne pasta, (or pasta of your choice)
  • 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil ((see notes))
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup pine nuts
  • 2 medium cloves garlic, (minced)
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, (plus more for garnish (see notes))
  • 3 tablespoons thinly sliced basil, (plus more for garnish)
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, (if needed)
  • Kosher salt to taste ((I used 1/2 teaspoon))
  • Ground black pepper to taste ((I used 1/2 teaspoon))

Instruction

  • In a large pot of boiling, generously salted water, cook the penne until al dente, according to package instructions. Just before the pasta is finished, use a ladle or liquid measuring cup to carefully reserve about 1/4 cup of pasta water. Set aside. Drain the pasta and rinse with water to prevent sticking.
  • While the pasta is cooking, place the sun-dried tomatoes on a paper towel-lined plate to drain off some of the excess oil, gently patting the tops dry (the oil doesn't need to be completely removed, but the tomatoes shouldn't be swimming in it). Coarsely chop the tomatoes and set aside.
  • Melt the butter in medium-sized skillet over low heat. Add the pine nuts and cook, stirring frequently, until they smell fragrant and are just starting to brown, 4-5 minutes. You can adjust the heat to medium-low to speed up the process, but be careful to avoid burning the nuts and/or butter.
  • Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the garlic. Continue stirring for 1 minute; the residual heat will cook the garlic.
  • Transfer the pasta to a large bowl. Stir the sun-dried tomatoes, pine nut mixture, parmesan cheese, and basil, adding small splashes of pasta water to help bring the ingredients together. Make sure not to leave any of that nutty, garlic-infused butter behind in the skillet; scrape it all into the pasta. If it feels like the ingredients are clumping, you can optionally add some or all of the olive oil for additional slip.
  • Season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide into serving bowls, garnish with additional parmesan and basil before serving.
  • Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.