Pasta with No-Cook Spicy Tomato Sauce

Pasta with no-cook spicy tomato sauce. Ricotta, sun-dried tomatoes and harissa are some of the few ingredients you need for this easiest and tastiest no-cook tomato sauce. It’s creamy, garlic-kissed and bright with just the right amount of heat. The results are simply spectacular. Extra bonus? It’s ready in 15 minutes!

When sweet dried tomatoes meet garlic, ricotta, and harissa, a flavor bomb is created. It’s such a simple assembly, so satisfying and delicious, yet so different.

This sauce is a nice departure from the standard, hearty, sun-dried tomato pesto. The freshness of the ingredients and the spicy harissa paste create a nice balance of intense flavors, giving this sauce extra body and fullness.

This is how we do it. While the pasta is cooking, we blend the ingredients for the spicy tomato sauce in a food processor. Add it to the still hot cooked pasta, toss toss toss. Serve. Ready. Enjoy.
Let me guide you through the recipe with this step-by-step VIDEO.

RECIPE NOTES

• this no-cook tomato sauce makes also a great topping for bruschetta, dip for chips or pita, or spread for sandwiches
• it’s also pretty flexible. Swap the sun-dried tomatoes for roasted red peppers or canned chopped tomatoes. Use sambal oelek instead of harissa paste. Try mascarpone in place of ricotta
• use your favorite pasta shape
• make it as spicy as you can handle
• don’t worry if you don’t have a food processor, simply finely chop the ingredients by hand using a sharp knife
• serve warm or at room temperature with a big leafy side salad 

TRY THESE NEXT

• Spicy Pasta alla Vodka with ‘Nduja
• Red Pesto Mascarpone Pasta
• Eggplant Tomato Pasta with Bacon

COOKING VIDEO

 

Yield: serves 4

Pasta with No-Cook Spicy Tomato Sauce

Print

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 11 ounces/300 g pasta, use your favorite shape
• 7 ounces/200 g sun-dried tomatoes, drained
• 2 tbsp oil from sun-dried tomatoes
• 2 large garlic cloves, smashed
• 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts
• ½ tsp salt, black pepper, dried oregano
• 9 ounces/250 g ricotta
• 2 ounces/50 g grated parmesan, more for serving
• 2 tbsp harissa paste, or your favorite chili paste
• 20 large basil leaves

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta al dente in generously salted water. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking water.
2. While the pasta is boiling, prepare the tomato sauce.
3. To your food processor, add the remaining ingredients. Blend until finely chopped.
4. When the pasta is ready, add the prepared sauce and ½ cup cooking water. Toss to combine. Add more cooking water, if needed. Taste and adjust salt.
5. Serve warm or at room temperature with a big side salad. Enjoy!

Notes

Calories Per Serving: 413 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

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