Whether you're looking for a great, family friendly, pasta dish, or a meatless Monday dinner idea, this Creamy One Pan Pasta with Asparagus and Sun Dried Tomatoes has you covered. With plenty of fresh asparagus, oil-packed sun dried tomatoes and parmesan cheese- this one pot dish is sure to become part of your regular rotation.

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Looking for more great pasta dishes?

Why not try my 5 Cheese Sausage and Spinach Lasagna, Sunday Sauce with Bracciole, Meatballs and Sausage, Red Pepper Cream Sauce, One Pot Sausage Artichoke Pasta Bake, or Cheese Tortellini with Roasted Tomato and Sausage Cream Sauce!

The One Pan Plan

I gotta say, I love a one pan pasta. I don't know about you, but in this house- ain't nobody got time for dishes.

This vegetarian one pan delight is loaded with fresh asparagus and sun dried tomatoes. With a little spice from the crushed red pepper flakes to balance out the creamy, parmesan sauce- this pasta checks all the boxes for an easy weeknight meal.

Creamy One Pan Pasta with Asparagus and Sun Dried Tomatoes

What goes into the super simple One Pan Pasta?

To make this quick and easy one pan veggie pasta, you will need:

Jarred, oil-packed sun dried tomatoes. My faves come from Trader Joe's.
1 lb rotini pasta, or other smaller-shaped, short pasta such as penne.
Fresh Asparagus, cut on bias into equal portions. You want to go with the thicker ones at the market. The skinny/stringy ones will not hold up to the cook time and will turn to mush.
Olive oil for browning the asparagus, butter for building the sauce.
Crushed red pepper flakes, dried basil and salt and pepper. Fresh ground black pepper is bae.
Lots of grated parmesan cheese.
Some heavy cream (key) and milk. Use whatever milk you've got on hand. My go-to is 2%.
Some good, drinkable white wine. Nothing too sweet. Go for a Pinto Grigio, Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc. NO MOSCATO. Trust me.
4 sliced cloves fresh garlic, or more, if you love garlic. Slice it ultra-thin, Goodfellas in prison style.

Asparagus and Sun Dried Tomatoes- a match made in one pan pasta heaven

The flavor combo of crispy and fresh asparagus with rich sun dried tomatoes works perfectly with essentially any small shaped pasta, for a pantry friendly meal with a fresh twist.

Picking the asparagus

In this case- bigger is better. Leave the scrawny and skinny asparagus spears behind at the market and go for thicker ad sturdier. The asparagus is the first thing to hit the pan i the recipe, so a thin and flimsy spear will turn to shrived mush by the time the pasta is done. Go big or go home!

Sun dried tomatoes

Go for the jarred, oil-packed sun dried tomatoes for this recipe. The dried ones will retain a firmer texture and might be chewy, while the oil packed will melt into the sauce. Also- that oil is packed with flavor!

What's the best pasta shape to use for this creamy sun dried tomato pasta?

I love a classic rotini for this recipe, but any short shape pasta will work. Just stay away from pasta with excessively long cooking times. We're looking for a pasta with a box instruction of about a 10-12 minute standard cooking time for al dente.

Great pasta shapes for this recipe

Rotini
Penne
Farfalle
Cavatappi
Shells

One pan pasta - but what kind of pan?

I usually go with my trusty cast iron skillet for this, or a deep non-stick skillet/saute pan. You want a deep pan with a lid, so that you can easily stir it, and can cover it for the last 10-15 minutes of cook time.

Print Recipe

Creamy One Pan Pasta with Asparagus and Sun Dried Tomatoes

Prep Time10

Cook Time35

Total Time45

Course: Dinner

Keyword: pasta

Servings: 6

Equipment

large cast iron skillet or deep non-stick sauté pan

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups thick asparagus, cut on bias into equal portions
salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
⅓ cup oil-packed sun dried tomatoes
1 lb rotini pasta, or other smaller-shaped, short pasta such as penne
2 tablespoon butter
4 cloves garlic, sliced
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 ½ teaspoon dried basil
½ cup white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc
1 ½ cups grated parmesan cheese
1 ½ cups heavy cream
3 cups milk

Instructions

In a large cast iron skillet or deep saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add the sliced asparagus, and season with salt and pepper.
3. Cook, stirring occasionally for 8-12 minutes, until slightly softened and lightly browned (time will vary depending on thickness).
4. Add the butter to the pan and melt.
5. Add the sliced garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, dried basil and sun dried tomatoes, stir and cook 1 minute, until just fragrant.
6. Add the white wine to the pan and cook until mostly evaporated 3-5 minutes.
7. Add the milk, heavy cream and dry pasta to the pan and stir to combine.
8. Cover the pan with a lid, and cook 12-14 minutes, stirring occasionally until pasta is cooked through to al dente, and sauce is thickened. If pasta is not cooked through and sauce is thickening, add a splash or so of milk to thin it out and allow the pasta to cook fully.
9. Turn off the heat, stir in the parmesan cheese and taste. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired, and serve.

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