Giada de Laurentiis's Top 5 Recipes of 2022: 20-Minute Sundried Tomato Pesto Pasta Recipe Pasta Dinner Vegetarian

Giada de Laurentiis is one of my favorite celebrity chefs and her pasta recipes are a big reason why. She recently shared her “top 5 recipes of 2022,” and four out of the five are either pasta or pasta sauce recipes. I know what I’ll be cooking throughout 2023!

Of the five top recipes, my favorite pasta dish is her sundried tomato pesto pasta. The name alone makes me think that Giada made it just for me, because it includes two of my very favorite ingredients – sundried tomatoes and pesto. (When I’m at a restaurant, if either is on the menu it’s highly likely that I’ll be ordering it!)

For this sundried pesto pasta recipe you need to blend the sundried tomatoes and the oil they’re packed in with garlic, fresh basil and Parmesan cheese, then season with salt and pepper to taste. The result is a rich and perfectly flavored pesto sauce, proving that there’s just nothing like homemade pesto.

One of my favorite parts about this recipe is that you can serve it warm or cold. I like to serve it warm but my family likes eating the leftovers cold (we only have leftovers if I make a double batch!). I just can’t believe such a delicious, homemade meal is on the table in just 20 minutes! It’s recipes like this one that convince me that even incredibly busy people can find time for homemade dinners on chaotic weeknights. Serve Giada's pasta recipe with bread and a salad.

Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 12 ounces pasta (Giada likes strozzapreti)
• 1 jar (7 to 8 ounces) sundried tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic 
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Here's how to make it: 

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
2. Blend the sundried tomatoes and their oil, garlic, basil and salt and pepper, to taste, in food processor. Blend until the tomatoes are finely chopped. Transfer the tomato mixture to a large bowl. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.
3. Add the pasta to the pesto and toss to coat, adding enough reserved pasta water to moisten. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste, if desired. 

Photo: Donna John's version of Giada's recipe using spaghetti noodles. (Photo courtesy of Donna John.)

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