This dish combines homemade basil pesto with sliced sun-dried tomatoes; the tomatoes are not blended into the pesto. The distinction keeps the sauce green and gives the ribbons separate tomato pieces. With 340 g dry tagliatelle and a concentrated mixture of basil, pine nuts and Parmesan, the main challenge is making the coating fluid enough to reach every ribbon without flooding the pot.
Sun-dried tomato pesto tagliatelle makes 4 servings, with 25 min estimated total time. View the standalone recipe page.
Prepare the two flavor components separately
Measure the 80 g basil leaves, 40 g pine nuts and 60 g finely grated Parmesan before processing. Wash and dry the basil as appropriate so rinse water is not an unmeasured part of the sauce. Peel the garlic clove and have the lemon juice, salt and pepper ready.
Drain the 100 g oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes and slice them separately. The recipe's 80 ml olive oil belongs in the pesto, so do not pour oil from the tomato jar into the food processor as an extra ingredient. Smaller tomato strips are easier to distribute through the broad pasta ribbons.
Pulse to texture rather than to a smooth puree
Pulse the basil, pine nuts, cheese, garlic, lemon juice and seasonings, then stream in the measured olive oil. Scrape the bowl as needed so large pieces are not left underneath the blades or stuck high on the sides. A coarse pesto retains visible texture.
The processor stage is not where all the looseness needs to happen. Pasta water will be added later, so do not keep pouring in oil to make the mixture flow like bottled dressing. That would change the recipe and could leave excess oil around the finished pasta instead of an even coating.
Reserve the water before reaching for the colander
Cook the tagliatelle in salted boiling water for its package time. Separate the ribbons gently as they soften, especially if they began in nests. Their width and manufacturer determine the cooking schedule; a fixed time borrowed from another pasta shape is less useful than the packet instructions.
Before draining, collect the specified 250 ml cooking water in a heat-safe container. Keep it within reach. This is an easy step to forget when the pasta is ready, and plain water will not have exactly the same contribution from the cooked pasta's starch.
Finish in the warm pot with the burner off
Return the drained pasta to the warm pot off the heat. Add the pesto, sliced tomatoes and initial 100 ml cooking water. Lift and fold the ribbons gently, moving through the whole pot instead of stirring a tight circle that can tangle or tear them.
If patches remain dry or the pesto sits in clumps, add more of the reserved water in small amounts while tossing. Stop when the coating spreads readily and clings to the ribbons. You do not have to use the full reserve. Keeping the pesto away from direct heat follows both the recipe and the sauce-maker guidance linked below.
Serve before the ribbons tighten together
Divide the pasta promptly among four bowls, checking that tomato strips are shared across the portions rather than left at the bottom of the pot. A final gentle lift before serving redistributes any sauce that has settled. The dish becomes less fluid as it stands, so do not finish it far ahead of the meal.
Refrigerate leftovers promptly in shallow covered containers within two hours, or one hour above 90°F, and use within three to four days. Reheat to 165°F with a little water if needed. Reheated pesto will not have exactly the freshly tossed texture and color, so preparing only the needed portions gives the best initial result.
Common questions
Why is my pesto pasta oily but still dry in places?
Oil alone does not distribute a thick pesto as effectively as the planned water-and-tossing step. Start with 100 ml pasta water and add more of the reserve gradually off the heat.
Do the sun-dried tomatoes belong in the food processor?
No. In this recipe they are drained, sliced and added with the pesto to the cooked tagliatelle, preserving separate tomato pieces in the finished dish.
Technique & food-safety references
These primary references support the technique, safety and storage guidance. The recipe and cooking explanations are original Recipe Pinboard content.
