Red pesto spaghetti bolognese with sun-dried tomatoes. A super hearty meat sauce with a twist on a traditional Bolognese using vibrant red pesto and bright sun-dried tomatoes. It’s packed with richness and will definitely inject your pasta night with an instant flavor boost. Spaghetti just got a whole lot better. And the extra bonus? It’s ready in 30 minutes.
Why you’ll love this spaghetti with red pesto sauce
Spaghetti bolognese is perhaps the ultimate combination of weeknight convenience and comfort food. A pasta dish like this one doesn’t take long to cook, and it can easily be prepared the day before. So satisfying and delicious.
Let me guide you through the recipe with this step-by-step VIDEO.
This one is chockfull ground pork, spoonfuls of red pesto, and, yes, plenty of sun-dried tomatoes. We are all familiar with the classic green pesto, but have you ever heard of red pesto? It’s mind blowing! It offers complex, incredibly bright rich flavors. Made with a lot of the same elements as green pesto, except you switch out the basil for sun-dried tomatoes.
In this recipe you can use store-bought pesto as a back-pocket shortcut, or make your own pesto and try this recipe.
Helpful tips
- Use ground pork, beef, veal or chicken. Italian sausage will work great here as well.
- You can use store-bought pesto as a back-pocket shortcut or home made red pesto.
- Add more veggies, like grated zucchini or roasted peppers.
- Try to buy sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil, and don’t forget to drain the oil, otherwise you’ll end up with an oily sauce
- However, if you buy sun-dried tomatoes without oil, you can hydrate the tomatoes first, to prevent them from being tough and chewy. Just put the sun-dried tomatoes in a bowl, add some hot water and let them stand for about 20 minutes, drain and you’re ready to go.
- Use any of your favorite pasta, like tagliatelle, fettuccini or linguini.
- Make a delicious lasagne or a casserole with penne and grated mozzarella.
- Serve with a big side salad drizzled with balsamic dressing.
How to store spaghetti bolognese with red pesto
- Make ahead: You can easily prepare this recipe 1 day in advance. Keep the pasta and sauce separate in the fridge and reserve some cooking water. Then combine, reheat before serving, add a splash of the cooking water, and done!
- Fridge: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Great for meal prepping! Store in the freezer in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Let thaw completely before reheating.
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Red Pesto Spaghetti Bolognese
Ingredients
- 14 ounces spaghetti
- 3 tbsp oil reserved from sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1.1 pounds ground pork or beef
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups puréed tomatoes
- 7 ounces sun-dried tomatoes without oil
- 5.5 ounces red pesto store-bought or home made
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- grated parmesan for serving
spices
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried sage
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes more for serving
Instructions
- Get all the prep done before you start cooking: mince the garlic, finely chop the onion and chop the sun-dried tomatoes into strips.
- Heat the reserved oil from the sun-dried tomatoes in a large heavy bottom pot over medium. Add garlic and onion, cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add ground pork, break up into pieces and cook until golden brown and no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in spices and tomato paste. Pour in puréed tomatoes and add sun-dried tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- In the meantime, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and cook spaghetti until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking water.
- When ready, add red pesto and milk, simmer for 5 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper to your own taste. Toss with pasta and parsley. Add a splash of cooking water if the sauce looks too thick. Stir until glossy and spaghetti is evenly coated.
- Serve immediately, sprinkle with grated parmesan and some crushed red pepper flakes. Enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
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I was amazed by the flavor of this pasta yet so few ingredients and so little preparation. The acidity of the tomato paste balance the sweetness of the sun dried tomatoes and the sage gives a tangy freshness and rich aroma. I was delighted also by the texture the pesto gives the sauce. Simply but amazingly delicious recipe.
Thanks Ricardo! So glad you enjoyed!