This is the pasta that made people stop scrolling. Rigatoni in a blush-pink cream sauce of sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, parmesan and wilted spinach: it looks like a styled photo and tastes like a Tuesday dinner you can actually pull off.
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The whole thing is one pot of boiling water and one wide skillet. The sauce builds while the pasta cooks, which means the timing is honest rather than aspirational. You will need about 30 minutes and a reasonably sharp knife.
The most common failure point is a sauce that turns grainy or tight. That happens when you dump cold dairy into a screaming hot pan. I flag it early below because fixing it after the fact is mostly a lie.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
About the Ingredients
12 oz (340 g) rigatoni or penne
Ridged tubes hold the sauce better than smooth shapes. If you have none, fusilli or farfalle work; avoid long noodles, which clump in a cream sauce.
3/4 cup (about 100 g) oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and sliced
Buy the oil-packed kind, not dry, for this sauce; dry tomatoes need a 20-minute soak. Keep 2 tablespoons of the packing oil for the pan.
2 tablespoons oil from the sun-dried tomato jar
This oil carries the tomato flavor. Substitute olive oil if you drained the jar completely.
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Fresh garlic only here; the jarred paste scorches. Sliced, not minced, so it browns evenly instead of burning in seconds.
1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
Use cream with at least 30% fat; half-and-half curdles at this heat. For a lighter version, use 3/4 cup cream plus 1/4 cup whole milk.
5 oz (140 g) baby spinach
Bagged baby spinach wilts in about 90 seconds. If using mature spinach, stem it and add 1 extra minute of cooking.
1 cup (90 g) finely grated parmesan
Grate it yourself from a block; pre-shredded parmesan has starch that makes sauce gluey. Pecorino works but is saltier, so taste before seasoning.
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more for the pasta water
Salt the water generously; it is the only chance to season the pasta itself. Kosher salt needs about 1 1/2 times the volume.
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Grind it fresh; pre-ground pepper is dust. A pinch of red pepper flakes is a good swap if you want heat.
1/4 cup (20 g) torn fresh basil, optional
Add off the heat so it stays green. Frozen basil or a teaspoon of pesto stirred in at the end is a fine substitute.
Tips & Tricks
Temper the Cream
Warm the cream in the microwave for 30 seconds before it hits the pan, so it never shocks the hot oil and splits.
Save the Pasta Water
Reserve a full cup before draining; the starchy water is what turns a tight sauce glossy.
Undercook the Pasta by 1 Minute
It finishes in the sauce and absorbs flavor instead of turning to paste.
Use a Wide Skillet
A 12-inch pan gives the spinach room to wilt rather than steam into a gray heap.
Pro Tips
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Boil the water
Bring 4 quarts (3.8 L) of water to a rolling boil in a large pot and add 1 tablespoon of salt. It should taste like mild seawater.
2. Cook the pasta
Add the rigatoni and cook 1 minute short of the package time, about 10 minutes, until just shy of al dente with a firm white core. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain.
3. Bloom the tomatoes
While the pasta cooks, heat the 2 tablespoons of tomato oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat (about 350 F / 175 C). Add the sun-dried tomatoes and cook 3 minutes, until they smell sweet and the oil darkens.
4. Soften the garlic
Add the sliced garlic and cook 45 seconds, until fragrant and pale gold at the edges. Do not let it brown; browned garlic turns bitter in cream.
5. Build the sauce
Pour in the warmed cream and bring to a gentle simmer, about 2 minutes, until it bubbles lightly at the edges. Reduce the heat to low.
6. Wilt the spinach
Add the spinach in two handfuls, stirring until each batch collapses, about 90 seconds total. The pan should look glossy, not watery.
7. Melt the cheese
Pull the pan off the heat and stir in the parmesan, salt and pepper until the sauce is smooth and coats a spoon. If it looks thick, splash in pasta water 2 tablespoons at a time.
8. Finish together
Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss over low heat for 1 minute, until the sauce clings to every ridge. Fold in the basil and serve immediately.
Delicious Variations
Chicken Version
Sear 1 pound of sliced chicken breast in the pan first, then proceed; add 4 minutes to the total time.
Spicy Vodka Twist
Swap 1/4 cup of the cream for vodka and add a pinch of red pepper flakes with the garlic.
Baked Version
Toss with the sauce, top with 1 cup mozzarella and bake at 400 F (200 C) for 12 minutes until bubbling.
How to Store Pinterest Image Pasta (Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato & Spinach Rigatoni)
Refrigerator
Keep in an airtight container up to 3 days. The sauce thickens when cold; loosen with a splash of water or milk.
Freezer
Freeze the sauce alone, without pasta, up to 2 months in a flat bag. Cream sauces can separate slightly, so whisk over low heat as it thaws.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a covered skillet over medium-low heat with 2 tablespoons of water, 4 to 5 minutes, stirring until glossy. Avoid the microwave, which makes the pasta rubbery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why did my cream sauce curdle?
The cream was added to a pan that was too hot or the pan was not deglazed properly. Warm the cream first and keep the heat at medium-low before pouring it in, then never boil it hard once the cheese goes in.
Q: Can I make this pasta ahead of time?
You can make the sauce up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate it, then cook the pasta fresh the day you serve it. Reheating cooked pasta in the sauce for long periods makes it mushy.
Q: What can I use instead of heavy cream?
Whole milk thickened with 1 tablespoon of flour works, or use 3/4 cup cream plus 1/4 cup milk for a lighter result. Do not use skim milk, which will split at this temperature.
Q: Is this pasta spicy?
No, it is not spicy as written; the sun-dried tomatoes add sweetness and tang rather than heat. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes with the garlic if you want warmth.
Q: How much pasta water should I add?
Start with 2 tablespoons and add more only if the sauce looks tight or grainy. A full cup is rarely needed, but having it reserved saves the dish if the sauce over-reduces.
Make it once and you will understand why it kept showing up in your feed. Cook the pasta a minute shy, warm the cream, and keep that pasta water close by. Measure twice, then measure again.
Pinterest Image Pasta (Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato & Spinach Rigatoni)
Pinterest Image Pasta is creamy sun-dried tomato rigatoni with spinach and parmesan, ready in 30 minutes and pretty enough to stop any scroll.
🧂 Ingredients
- 12 oz (340 g) rigatoni or penne
- 3/4 cup (about 100 g) oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and sliced
- 2 tablespoons oil from the sun-dried tomato jar
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
- 5 oz (140 g) baby spinach
- 1 cup (90 g) finely grated parmesan
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more for the pasta water
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup (20 g) torn fresh basil, optional
📋 Instructions
- 1Boil the water — Bring 4 quarts (3.8 L) of water to a rolling boil in a large pot and add 1 tablespoon of salt. It should taste like mild seawater.
- 2Cook the pasta — Add the rigatoni and cook 1 minute short of the package time, about 10 minutes, until just shy of al dente with a firm white core. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain.
- 3Bloom the tomatoes — While the pasta cooks, heat the 2 tablespoons of tomato oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat (about 350 F / 175 C). Add the sun-dried tomatoes and cook 3 minutes, until they smell sweet and the oil darkens.
- 4Soften the garlic — Add the sliced garlic and cook 45 seconds, until fragrant and pale gold at the edges. Do not let it brown; browned garlic turns bitter in cream.
- 5Build the sauce — Pour in the warmed cream and bring to a gentle simmer, about 2 minutes, until it bubbles lightly at the edges. Reduce the heat to low.
- 6Wilt the spinach — Add the spinach in two handfuls, stirring until each batch collapses, about 90 seconds total. The pan should look glossy, not watery.
- 7Melt the cheese — Pull the pan off the heat and stir in the parmesan, salt and pepper until the sauce is smooth and coats a spoon. If it looks thick, splash in pasta water 2 tablespoons at a time.
- 8Finish together — Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss over low heat for 1 minute, until the sauce clings to every ridge. Fold in the basil and serve immediately.
