Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta with Broccoli
This flavorful vegetarian pasta recipe features sun-dried tomatoes, broccoli, goat cheese and garlicky olive oil. It's easy to make and delicious!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 28, 2025
This sun-dried tomato pasta is one of my all-time favorite recipes! This vegetarian pasta offers layers of flavor, including sun-dried tomatoes, sautéed broccoli, goat cheese, and Parmesan, all nestled together with tender bow-tie noodles. Garlic-infused olive oil and reserved pasta cooking water bring it all together beautifully. It all comes together easily enough for a weeknight dinner.
I originally shared this recipe nearly thirteen years ago, and I’m sharing it again today with updated photos and a slightly improved recipe. If you haven’t tried it yet, this is your cue! It was titled “Spicy Broccoli and Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta,” but the red pepper flakes that make it spicy are entirely optional. It’s plenty flavorful either way, and you might find that the recipe appeals to a broader crowd (like my own family) without them.
This recipe called out to me the first time I flipped through Susie Middleton’s The Fresh & Green Table. The words “spicy” and “garlicky” caught my attention, but what really captured it is the cooking method.
She quickly infuses olive oil with garlic and optional red pepper flakes, reserving it to toss with crisp, cooked broccoli at the end. It’s also creamy without being loaded with heavy cream, as the goat cheese melts into a rich sauce when mixed with warm pasta and the leftover cooking water. Genius, right?
Serving Suggestions
If you’re building a meal around this pasta dish, here are a few suggestions to consider. I chose recipes with bright and fresh, lemony and herbal flavors to complement this one.
- Appetizers: Burrata with Tomatoes & Basil, Green Goddess Tahini Dip or Kalamata White Bean Dip
- Salads: Lemony Kale Salad, Homemade Caesar Salad, Mediterranean Bean Salad or an improvised salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
- Desserts: Lemon Posset, Lemony Cheesecake Tart with Pistachio Crust or Thumbprint Cookies
- Drinks: Americano Cocktail, Gimlet, Tom Collins or a glass of crisp Sauvignon blanc or a lighter Sangiovese
More Recipes for Sun-Dried Tomato Fans
I love the umami and depth of flavor that sun-dried tomatoes bring to a dish. If you enjoy this savory vegetarian recipe, you’ll also appreciate these options:
- Cauliflower Salad
- Double Tomato Pesto Spaghetti with Zucchini Noodles
- Sun-Dried Tomato Caesar Salad
- Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta with Roasted Vegetables
- Sun-Dried Tomato, Spinach and Quinoa Salad
Please let me know how your pasta turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta with Broccoli
Simple and flavorful, this vegetarian pasta recipe is made with sun-dried tomatoes, sautéed broccoli, creamy goat cheese and garlicky olive oil. Recipe yields 4 main dish servings.
Ingredients
- ½ pound dried whole wheat bow-tie or spiral-shaped pasta
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more if necessary
- 1 tablespoon pressed or minced fresh garlic (about 5 to 6 garlic cloves)
- Optional, for spice: ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 ½ pounds broccoli (about 4 medium, tightly packed crowns), chopped into small, bite-sized pieces
- Fine salt or kosher salt
- ½ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
- 2 to 3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled while still cold (around ½ cup)
- ⅓ cup coarsely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Parmesan cheese
- ½ small lemon, juiced (1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice)
- Optional add-ins: 15 pitted Kalamata olives, chopped, 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed, and/or a couple handfuls of baby arugula (great with leftovers)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Place a colander in the sink with a glass liquid measuring cup or heat-safe bowl next to it. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente, as directed on the package instructions. Remove the pot from heat and ladle/pour about 1 cup of the pasta water in the glass measuring cup. Drain the pasta in the colander and let it rest, covered loosely with a pot lid or plate.
- Place a small, heat-safe bowl near the stove. In a large cast-iron or non-stick skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-low heat. When the oil is hot, add the red pepper flakes (if using) and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic begins to sizzle. Cook for about 30 seconds more to infuse the oil with spicy, garlicky flavor, but do not let the garlic brown. Pour and scrape the seasoned oil into the heatproof bowl and set aside. Wipe out the pan with a clean kitchen rag or paper towel.
- Return the pan to the stove. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and heat over medium-low until shimmering. Add the broccoli and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli has shrunk to a single layer in the pan and turned bright green, and most have some browning on them (about 7 to 10 minutes). Don’t quit cooking prematurely here; you want the broccoli to be nice and toasty.
- Get out the pan’s lid or a cookie sheet and keep it handy. Add the sun-dried tomatoes to the pan. Measure out ⅓ cup pasta water (keep the rest for later) and pour it into the pan. Cover the pan with your lid or cookie sheet and continue cooking until the water has simmered down to almost nothing, about 15 to 30 seconds. Uncover and remove the pan from the heat.
- Add the drained pasta to the pan and drizzle in all of the infused oil. Stir it all together, then add the goat cheese and most of the Parmigiano. Stir until everything is well distributed. Add another 1 to 2 tablespoons of the pasta water and the lemon juice, and stir until the goat cheese loosens up and turns creamy. Season to taste with salt and add a tablespoon more pasta water if you’d like it to be more creamy. If the mixture seems dry at all, add a little splash of olive oil and mix well. Mix in the olives, chickpeas and/or arugula, if using.
- Serve right away, garnished with the remaining Parmigiano. This pasta keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days. Gently reheat the leftovers or serve them cold like pasta salad, perhaps with a handful of arugula and an extra squeeze of lemon juice.
Notes
Recipe adapted from The Fresh & Green Table by Susie Middleton.
Make it dairy free/vegan: Omit the cheese, but include the olives to make up for the cheese’s saltiness. Stir in some vegan sour cream to make the dish creamy. Finish the dish with a sprinkle of vegan Parmesan cheese, if you’d like.
Make it gluten free: Substitute sturdy gluten-free noodles, like a corn and quinoa blend, cooked according to package directions.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Just wanted to say that this is my partner and my favourite pasta recipe and my probably my partner’s favourite recipe in general. It is so good! We always make it with chickpeas and it fills us up so well. I love how many ingredients there are in the dish so you don’t have to use too much pasta. Everyone I make this for absolutely loves it. Thanks for introducing it to us!
Made this for my dinner today and… Well, I can’t describe how good it tasted. I used feta (didn’t have goat cheese) and it was still delicious. I’m vegetarian, but my dad believes that it’s better to eat poison than no meat for dinner, but… He said that perhaps I could make it for all family one day. Umh, I’m still not sure it’s possible… Wow.
Thank you. :)
Thank you, Elza! So glad you enjoyed the pasta. :)
Slowly making our way through the entire recipe collection lol.
This was the first one I wasn’t 100% five stars on, but I know it was just the goat cheese. The only cheese I’m just not a fan of. But the rest of the flavors were awesome and I’m still doing 5 stars because a) I know if I just swap out feta I’d completely love this (just wanted to give goat cheese a fair shot) and b) all three kids asked for seconds!
We will definitely eat this again, thanks for another great recipe!
I made your dish this evening for my family and they absolutely LOVED IT!!! There were so many flavors that blended together perfectly in this meal. My 15-year-old said “I don’t like olives”, but she ate every bite on her plate. I loved that you included so many healthy veggies for little ones to enjoy. I will be making this again.
Hooray! Thank you, Reese! :)
I just made this and thought it was very good. I forgot to buy a lemon, but will try that next time. The sun-dried tomatoes really lift this above the usual. And of course, so does the goat cheese! I am looking forward to the leftovers for lunch! Thank you.
Awesome! Thank you, Julie!
Wow! crazy good:)))
Thank you!
Thanks, Cecilia! :)
I’m not a fan of goat cheese, so I was going to leave it out altogether, then decided last minute to whip up some cashew cream instead (1/2c raw cashews, 1/4c water, pinch salt blended until creamy) to give it that creamy consistency that I would me missing out on had I left out the cheese, and HOLY COW, it was like vegan Alfredo with a sun dried tomato “kick” to it.
We also used brown rice pasta instead of whole wheat and find that it more closely resembles the texture and taste of regular pasta.
Just thought I’d give my two cents for any vegans out there! I’m not vegan, so I added a pinch of parmesan to the finished product, but could have definitely left it out. Making it again tonight!
Ohhh, great idea! Thanks, Alanna!
Hey Kate,
Made this for dinner last night. It was really tasty, I was just not a fan of goat-cheese in this dish. I think feta would’ve worked better.
Still a satisfying, healthy and quick weeknight dinner and great for leftovers lunch.
Cheers,
D
I made this for lunch. I followed the recipe exactly and added the olives. Its an excellent dish. The saltiness of the olives, the hint of lemon and goat cheese come together tastefully. Thanks Kate!
You’re welcome, Claudia! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
I’ve made this dish several times and it turned out great every time. It has become one of my go-to dishes for week dinners.
Next time I’m post a picture in instagram ;)
Thank you, Catarina! I’ll keep an eye out for your pasta on Instagram! Yay. :)
Made this tonight and it was delicious, super excited to have the leftovers for lunch tomorrow!
Thanks, Amanda!
I love this dish, made it several times now, and overtime switched to millet and roasting broccoli in the oven. It looks less pretty with millet than with pasta, but I am a fan of this grain and all the flavors together. I also always add chickpeas.
I made this tonight and followed the recipe EXACTLY. It was fantastic! You could serve this in a restaurant and I loved the infused garlic thing. Don’t skip that step. Thanks for the great recipe. I just stumbled on your sight and I’m trying lots of things.
I made this tonight for my mum and impossibly fussy stepdad (subbed goat’s cheese for crumbled feta, and added some chicken on top at the end for him because he refuses to eat “rabbit food” :P ). He said hands down it was the best meal he’s had in ages, and asked me to cook it again ASAP, which has never happened before in our house!! (He even called dibs on the leftovers to take for lunch tomorrow!) Thank you so much for such a wonderful recipe that brought so much happiness to me and my family :) I can definitely see this becoming a staple weeknight dinner in our house! xx
This dish is one of my favorites ever! Do you have nutritional information (calories, fat grams, etc.)?
Hi Debra! I’m sorry, I don’t offer nutrition facts yet, but you can always run recipes through myfitnesspal.com to calculate nutrition facts. That way, you can adjust the recipe to match how you made it.
I tried this out but I couldn’t get hold of bow-tie pasta so I used spaghetti instead and it turned out great!
I’m glad! Thanks, Sabreen.
made this for dinner last night. It was wonderful. A bit tricky getting the timing right first time but I think it will be quick and easy from now on. This will be a definite go to recipe. The market didn’t have any arugula but I bet that will be a great addition. Next time I think I will add mushrooms and maybe some fresh peas.
Thanks! Now I am going to stalk your page :)
Thank you, Judy! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Made this tonight for my partner and his dad (both if who eat meat) and everyone absolutely loved it! Added mushrooms and the chickpeas and used feta instead of goats cheese (couldn’t find goats cheese at my supermarket). Will definitely be making this again :)
Thank you, Chloe! I’m so glad it was a hit. :)
Made this recipe last night. My wife and I loved it! The combination of olives and sun dried tomatoes works so well with the lemon and nutty broccoli. It’s recipes like this that make me forget all about meat.
Thanks, Mike! I’m happy the two of you enjoyed.
How many does this serve? Thank you!! :)
Hi, Sky! This should serve at least 4 people.
It is so delicious!!!! So delicious!!
Haha! Thank you, Kim!
I made this for the first time about a year ago and since then have been making it every week. It’s become a household favourite as the balance of all the ingredients is just perfect.
Thank you, for your review! I am happy it has become such a staple for you.
I just made this last night. It was AMAZING. I doubled the garlic and red pepper flakes for a teensy bit more kick. Thanks for sharing!!!
Love to hear that! Thank you.
I have a new go to extra broccoli in the fridge recipe! Another winner winner broccoli dinner !!
Thanks, Sue! I appreciate the review.
This is horrendous, confusing, and needlessly complex.
You seriously wrote “1 1/2 pound broccoli?” I made this with 1.5 lbs of broccoli….
I’m sorry you felt that way, Roy!
Kate – thank you so very much for your easy and tasty recipes. I cooked this for dinner last night as a trial run for when my vegetarian son comes home for Christmas and it was delicious! I’ll admit I did add shredded chicken for my husband’s benefit since our son is not home yet :)
Thank you for making the holidays that much less stressful and more enjoyable. Best wishes to your and your family for 2019!
I’m glad you loved it! I hope your son loves it too. Thanks so much for sharing, Eva!
I made it tonight without goat cheese still delicious great recipe everyone loves it thanks!
You’re welcome, Stacey!
The flavors really come together in this recipe. Thanks Kate!
You’re welcome, Eesha!
Awesome recipe. Instead of adding the pasta water, I used 1/2 pasta water and a Lemon Mediterranean salad dressing.
Made this tonight for dinner. Easy and Delish. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome, Kara! I appreciate the review.
Just made this for dinner and it was delicious. Next time we might try it with artichoke hearts, though maybe we shouldn’t mess with perfection. :)
That sounds like an interesting combination! Let me know what you think when you try it, Emily.
This was so so tasty. I omitted the peppers as I didn’t want a spicy flavor tonight. Really enjoyed the fresh hint of lemon. Thank you for another lovely recipe. Next time will add the garbanzos and chicken.
THis was delicious! I didn’t have enough goat cheese and added a small hunk of diced mozzarella and a pat of butter. So good!
Yum! The whole family loved this one, and said so multiple times.
I enjoyed the mix of fresh flavors, and appreciate the very clear directions. It turned out perfectly and is definitely one I’ll make again.
I made this fantastic recipe last night. Seldom does a recipe really deliver like it promises but this one does! It was SO delicious and unique. I love the tang it has from the sundried tomatoes, olives, feta and lemon. Wow. Great instructions as well. Thank you!
Another delicious C&K recipe. Wasn’t sure about the olives but nice addition to this pasta. I added a bit of kale at the end as I didn’t have arugula; I think the bitterness of the arugula is a better choice and I’ll be sure to have it next time I make this. Thanks Kate.
Delicious! I roasted the broccoli in the oven rather than on the stove top, just because I find it easier and love the deep flavor it gives. Thanks for another great recipe!
This was really good. I used brown rice rotini, added some chopped curly kale in with the broccoli, and didn’t have any goat or feta cheese so I left it out and added a bit more pasta water and parmesan. Threw in a can of chickpeas and what a tasty, filling meal! The recipe is from a while back but I couldn’t find a review from anyone who made it so I figured I’d weigh in
I have been making this recipe for awhile now. We have it about once a month. It’s a good recipe with nice flavor and easy to make later in the week after weekend grocery trips since broccoli is pretty hardy. My only change is to roast the broccoli.
Hi! My New Year resolution was to make a vegetarian meal every week and your recipes have made me completely enjoy what I thought would be a chore for me!
Goat cheese is one of the few foods I don’t like. I’m wondering what cheese I could use as a substitute in recipes such as this one, where the cheese makes the creamy sauce.
Thanks!
I loved this!! I didn’t have sun dried tomatoes so I used red pepper and I used feta instead of goat cheese. It was Amazing! I have already shared this with 2 friends- and I just made it! It’s a keeper Thank you!!
You’re welcome!
I love your recipes so much they are always delicious! I think this one will also be delicious, I just found all the steps to be confusing. I cook a lot and can follow recipes no problem but something about this one made me a bit cross eyed. Perhaps a review and simplify would help. Thanks for all the amazing recipes!!
I’m sorry you find this one hard to follow, Natasha. I appreciate your feedback.
Any time I had some ingredients that I want to use up, I search a recipe with the ingredients and your recipes are usually the ones I go for! This was so delicious, thank you so much!
You’re welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed it, Ezgi.
Absolutely loved this! Thank you for a great addition to my list of meatless pasta :) If I could make a suggestion – I wasn’t sure what to do with the garlic as the recipe did not state if it should be discarded or tossed in with the pasta along with the infused oil. Perhaps it was obvious to other readers but not to me. I left it out, but ended up sprinkling it on my plate – by then they were nice crunchy bits of garlic!
Had to find a way to use the leftover kalamatas I bought for your orange orzo salad and this was just wow! Absolutely knocked my socks off
Great to hear, Rachel! Thank you for your review.
Had broccoli and needed a main course recipe, so I always look at your recipes. Another winner – thanks:)
You’re welcome, Felice! I appreciate your review.
This was delicious! My kitchen is poorly designed so I roasted the broccoli in the oven to prevent the smoke alarm from going off – 20 minutes at 190C.
Dear Cookie and Kate,
Thank you so much for this recipe!
I made it for a dinner with my friend, and while she has not been too impressed with things I have cooked for her so far, she took seconds and thirds from this pasta (and asked for the recipe)!
It is very well thought-out and made for a wonderful evening.
I look forward to leafing further through your recipes!
You’re welcome, Sabine! I can’t wait to hear what you think of other recipes your try.
Thank you so much for this recipe! I’ve made it several times now and it is so yummy and a wonderful comfort food. I’m already craving it again just writing about it!
You’re welcome, CG!
Just made this and eating it out of the pan. So good! A new way for me to cook broccoli. Will be adding your vegan parmesan too.
Wow! What took me so long before making this … yummy.
Works with gluten free pasta too.
This looks delicious except that I can’t eat broccoli. Do you have a suggestion for substituting?
Hi Deborah, you could try cauliflower and the method listed should still work, thought cauliflower can take a bit longer to cook.
Thank you! I was thinking that too, but also thinking Swiss Chard. I’ll let you know how it turns out!
Yes, any sturdy green would also work!
I bought a bag of sun dried tomatoes in Italy this summer. They are plain meaning not packed in oil but seem moist. Can these be used in this recipe as is, as well as others that call for those ones packed in oil?
Hi Michal, those sound amazing. I’ve had the “fresh” farmer’s market sun-dried tomatoes before, but never from Italy! They will be amazing in any recipe, you may just need to adjust the amount of oil in some recipes to your taste. I’d probably save them for simple recipes where they could really shine — chopped up in salads, layered on sandwiches, or as an accompaniment to cheese boards. I hope you enjoy them!
I made the sun dried tomato pasta and broccoli. Sooo very good. I used Banza gluten free pasta. My dog likes it too.