Sun-Dried Tomato Rigatoni

Sun-Dried Tomato Rigatoni

This is one of those recipes we keep coming back to again and again. Sun-dried tomatoes bring this incredible depth of flavour, almost jammy and intense, and when you blend them into a creamy cashew sauce it becomes something properly special. The rigatoni holds onto every bit of that sauce in its ridges, so each forkful is absolutely packed. It's the kind of dinner that feels indulgent but is completely plants-based, and we love that about it. Make this on a Friday night and you will not be disappointed.

Cook: 40 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Soak cashews in boiling water for at least 10 minutes
  • Powerful blender
  • Large pan
  • Large pot for pasta

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 tbsp harissa paste
  • 150g sun-dried tomatoes
  • 140g cashews
  • 2 cans x 400g can(s) of chopped tomatoes - use canned cherry tomatoes if you can find them
  • 350g rigatoni pasta
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 tbsp Nooch
  • 1 handful of basil leaves - plus a few for the top
  • pepper to taste
  • 2 red onions

Method

1

Prepare the ingredients

  • Cut the sun-dried tomatoes into small chunks
  • Peel and dice the onions
  • Place the cashews into a small bowl and cover with boiling water, leave to soak for at least 10 minutes
2

Prepare the sauce

  • Place a large pan over a medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil
  • Once warm, add the diced onions and a pinch of salt
  • Mix well and cook for 5-10 minutes until soft
  • At this point, add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and stir for 5 minutes
  • Mix through the dried herbs and paprika and cook for another minute
  • Drain the cashews and place into a powerful blender, along with the garlic clove and almond milk
  • Blend until smooth and creamy
  • Pour the cashew cream into the pan, along with the tinned tomatoes and harissa paste
  • Mix well and leave to simmer for 10 minutes
3

Cook the pasta

  • Add a big pinch of salt to a big pot of boiling water, add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions (approx 9-11 minutes, depending on the pasta)
  • Once cooked, drain (reserving some of the pasta water)
4

Finish the pasta

  • Pick the basil leaves and thinly slice
  • Mix the drained pasta through the sauce
  • If the sauce feels too thick, mix through some pasta water until smooth and creamy
  • Sprinkle half the basil over the pasta, stir the pasta into the sauce until well covered
5

Time to serve

  • Spoon the pasta into serving bowls, season with nooch and pepper, garnish with the remaining basil and serve immediately

Tips & Variations

  • Soak your cashews properly: We know it's tempting to skip this but please don't. Even 10 minutes in boiling water makes a huge difference to how smooth and creamy your sauce turns out.
  • Use the oil from the jar: If your sun-dried tomatoes come in oil, use a bit of that to fry your onions instead of regular olive oil. It adds even more flavour and feels like a little cheat code.
  • Save your pasta water: Before you drain the rigatoni, scoop out a mug of the starchy cooking water. Adding a splash to the sauce when you toss it all together helps everything coat the pasta beautifully.

Why This Works

The trick here is soaking the cashews before blending them into the sauce. It gives you that silky, creamy texture without any dairy, and it makes the whole thing feel really luxurious. The sun-dried tomatoes do a lot of heavy lifting too, they're already concentrated and full of umami, so you get massive flavour without needing loads of ingredients.