Let’s call this Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Basil Pasta recipe, my saving grace or aha moment for the continuation of my blog.

As I sit here typing up this latest post, having had it for lunch – I realised self-reflection is a helluva bitter medicine but in my case it is always appreciated. I’ve been struggling with my blog for a while, sometimes excited, but mostly feeling deflated about the direction. When I first started, I had the name “Evah Bite” in mind as a tribute to my Barbadian roots and decided to steer it in that way – with much distress.

Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Basil Pasta made me realise that my style of cooking – though Barbadian influenced, was not Barbadian – it’s eclectic. “Hadi this is a lot to place on a plate of pasta” – I know, I know, just hear me out for a minute.

The flavours of the Caribbean…the spice that instinctively makes you say “it got my nose runnin’”…the aroma that makes you open your windows and makes a passerby yell in asking “you cooking for me too?”…and being excited about darkly coloured meat (Browning is always your friend) are ingrained in me of course, but there’s more.

My happy place is getting to try different recipes, creating new ones off of old favourites, and applying Caribbean flavourings to other concepts. The need to try different recipes, and build on what I know is what makes me excited to cook. So as I sit here wishing I made extra, welcome to Evah Bite reboot – nothing without the Barbadian in me, but seeking to learn more about other styles as well.

How’s that for food for thought? I just had to do it *hides face*.

Now, this recipe came about because I love me some cheesy pasta. Since I’m lazy I’m not often in the mood to make macaroni pie, I wanted a quick fix to replace the cheesy tomato combination Bajans know and love.

An accidental shopping spree (it happens more often than you think for me and lets be honest the best kind of shopping) a year ago, when I was aisle happy in the supermarket, I bought sun-dried tomatoes in oil instead of olives and didn’t want them to expire in the back of my carefully coordinated cupboard. Having to grate cheese would require me to abandon my mission and starve, so for this recipe favourite, I chose the path of least resistance – cream cheese.

This quick fix Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Basil Pasta is cheesy goodness that gives your tastebuds even further rewards with bites of tomatoes and basil.

Do enjoy evah bite!

Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Basil Pasta

Hadi Let’s call this Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Basil Pasta recipe, my saving grace or aha moment for the continuation of my blog. As I sit here typing up this latest post, having had it for lunch – I realised self-reflection is... Dinner creamy pasta, sundried tomatoes, basil, herbs, linguine, fettuccine, pasta, sun-dried, quick and easy, cream cheese European Print This

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes 20 minutes

Nutrition facts: 423 calories 25 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

• 400 g of spaghetti
• 1 cup chicken/vegetable stock
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ½ cup whole milk
• 1 8 oz package of cream cheese (room temperature)
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp white pepper
• ½ cup of chopped sun-dried tomatoes
• ½ cup of chopped fresh basil

Instructions

Cook spaghetti in boiling salted water until there is a just a little bite to it.
On medium heat, in a small saucepan, add stock, oil, minced garlic, milk and cream cheese and stir with a wooden spoon until cream cheese breaks down (around ten minutes)
When the mixture smooths out, remove from the heat, add white pepper, chopped sun-dried tomatoes and basil. Let stand for 10 minutes.
Toss pasta in sauce and serve.
If storing for next day. Keep pasta and sauce separate until then. Heat pasta and then pour the cold sauce.
Can store in the fridge for three days.

Notes

If storing for next day. Keep pasta and sauce separate until then. Heat pasta and then pour the cold sauce. Can store in the fridge for three days.