This Creamy Sundried Tomato Pasta is a silky smooth pasta sauce topped with pancetta and parmesan. It is a "carbonara" style pasta made with an egg and cheese mixture and is a really fun take on a classic cooking method.
Looking for the classics? Try our Spaghetti Carbonara or Bucatini Amatriciana.
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"Carbonara" Style
This is a slightly different take on creamy sundried tomato pasta. I've wanted to mess around with "carbonara" style foods, mainly the egg and cheese mixture.
Maybe people don't use cheese and egg yolk mix often for a reason. Italians love to "keep tradition". I like to try new things. This isn't a typical flavor combo. It's not "authentic" Italian. It is authentic me, though. Chef Vinny. Eat your heart out.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- ½ pound spaghetti
- ¼ cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
- ¼ lb pancetta, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- ¾ cup parmesan
- ½ tsp salt
Parmesan: I specifically choose parmesan for this recipe instead of pecorino because it is slightly milder and has an even nutty flavor. Pecorino is salty and sharp and the sundried tomatoes are already sharp.
Pancetta. You could substitute prosciutto or gunaciale. I find prosciutto to be a little thin to work with recipes like this but guanciale would definitely work.
Eggs and Egg yolk. For any carbonara, I've always been one egg/one egg yolk per ½ pound of pasta. Some people are all egg yolk. People will forever argue about this but it's up to you.
Pasta. Feel free to substitute rigatoni or penne for the spaghetti. Any pasta will work as long as you save some of the pasta water.
Step-by-Step Directions
Overall, creamy sundried tomato pasta is so quick to make.
Step 1: Get the water boiling. Everything cooks so fast that once you finish frying everything that pasta will be ready. Throw your pasta in when the water is boiling.
Step 2: In a large saucepan, fry the pancetta over medium heat for about 8 minutes. The fat in the pancetta should render off and the rest of the meat develop a golden brown crust. The fat from the pancetta will melt enough so that you can saute the garlic without adding oil.
Pro-Tips
- Adding any extra oil to this recipe will take away from the creaminess in the finish.
- Fry pancetta starting from a cold pan. This will help the fat render while not overcooking the meat.
Step 3: Add garlic to the pan and let it saute in the pancetta for 1 minute before adding the rest of the ingredients. At the same time in the corner of the pan somewhere, add the tomato paste and let it carmelize on the pan for 2-3 minutes.
Step 4: Stir in the sundried tomatoes. Add ¼ cup of pasta water and stir well until the oil and pasta water are no longer separate.
Step 5: Strain the pasta and stir it into the sauce until it is completely coated. Remove from the heat and add ¼ cup pasta water and the parmesan and egg mixture. Stir until the pasta develops a creamy reddish sauce. Then serve the pasta with extra parmesan cheese.
FAQs
It is not a great pasta for reheating because of the style in which it's cooked. Once you reheat it, the eggs will pill up and the oil will separate. The taste will still be good but the texture will be different. For best results, you can reheat in a pan over medium-low heat but expect a texture change.
The eggs will be as cooked as an over-easy egg. They will cream and warm slightly because of the hot pan but you don't really want the egg to cook. That's what makes the pasta so creamy.
Please leave a comment and star rating below in the recipe card! I love to hear what you think of our recipes. Feel free to tag us on Instagram @vindelgiudice.
More Creamy Pasta Recipes
📖 Recipe
Creamy Sundried Tomato Pasta
Equipment
- 1 large saucepan
- 1 large pot
Ingredients
- ½ pound spaghetti
- ¼ cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
- ¼ lb pancetta, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- ¾ cup parmesan
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Boil spaghetti until al dente. Add pancetta to the pan and bring to a medium heat. Fry until the fat is translucent and the pancetta develops a crust. Add in garlic and tomato paste. Using a wooden spoon, move around the garlic to saute while leaving the tomato paste off to the side. After about 2 minutes add in the sundried tomatoes and mix it all together until well combined. Then add a ¼ cup of pasta water and stir until the oil and water no longer separate.
- In a bowl, stir together eggs and cheese. When the pasta is strained save ½ cup of pasta water. Add the pasta to the pan and turn the heat off. Stir until well combined and the pot is no longer steaming. Add the egg mixture to the pasta and stir well. Slowly add in a ¼ cup of pasta water until the sauce develops into a silky and creamy texture.
- Season with salt and pepper. Serve with extra parmesan.
Notes
- Always saute pancetta from a cold pan to render the fat before cooking the rest of the meat. This will make for the crispiest pancetta.
- Stir in the egg and cheese mixture vigorously while adding the pasta water and keep stirring until the sauce starts to develop.
Vinny
This pasta is a light creamy sauce perfect for date night!