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Prep time
10 minutes
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Cook time
15 minutes
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Serves
2
Author Notes
A weeknight pasta with the mood of a weekend bagel.
Just like the names suggest, cream cheese plus sun-dried tomatoes equals a supremely creamy, cheesy tomato sauce—two ingredients, zero fuss. All it needs is a big splash of salty, starchy pasta water to yield an Alfredo-like consistency, ideal for hugging long noodles. I’m a fan of spaghetti and bucatini here, but fettuccine, linguini, or even ramen would all be great. (And, yes, a short shape, like rigatoni, would work in a pinch.)
Make sure you get sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, since that comes in handy for the fried capers, which you shouldn’t skip, because they are so salty, so crunchy, so good. It doesn’t matter how the sun-dried tomatoes are cut in the jar (larger or julienned), since they’re getting minced anyway—this means lots of concentrated, awesome tomato flavor in every bite.
If you know you’re making this in advance, taking the cream cheese out of the fridge 30 minutes or so before getting started makes incorporating the sun-dried tomatoes a smidge easier. But you know what? I’ve forgotten to do that many times—and it always works out just fine. —Emma Laperruque
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Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta With Crispy Capers
Ingredients
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4 ounces
cream cheese
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1/3 cup
(2 ounces) minced sun-dried tomatoes, oil reserved
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3 tablespoons
capers, patted dry
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Kosher salt
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8 ounces
spaghetti or bucatini
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Freshly ground black pepper or red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)
Directions
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Set a large pot of water over high heat to come to a boil.
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Meanwhile, in a large bowl, use a fork to mash the minced tomatoes into the cream cheese, until the cream cheese is rosy.
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Set a small skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of tomato oil. Add the capers and cook, stirring once or twice, for 2 to 4 minutes, until they’re puffed and starting to brown. Turn off the heat, then use a fork to transfer them to a towel–lined plate.
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When the water is boiling, generously season it with salt. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Just before the pasta is done, scoop out about 1 cup of pasta water.
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While stirring with a fork, pour ¼ cup of pasta water into the tomato cream cheese. Use tongs to add the pasta and toss to coat, adding more pasta water to sight (about ⅓ cup for me) until the consistency is where you want it, keeping in mind that it will thicken as it cools. Season to taste with salt.
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Divide the pasta between two shallow bowls or plates and evenly top with the fried capers, plus black pepper or red pepper flakes if you’d like.
Emma was the food editor at Food52. She created the award-winning column, Big Little Recipes, and turned it into a cookbook in 2021. These days, she's a senior editor at Bon Appétit, leading digital cooking coverage. Say hello on Instagram at @emmalaperruque.
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