Spinach and sun dried tomato pasta with chicken sausage is a great meal for busy weeknights the whole family will love. This easy pasta recipe is dairy free and can easily made gluten free.

Looking for more easy pasta dishes? Try my one pot french onion pasta (dairy free), homemade dairy free hamburger helper, or creamy lemon pasta.

What You’ll Love About This Recipe

Creamy sauce – The creamy sauce is a variation of a vodka pasta sauce (but without the heavy cream and has flavorful bits of sun dried tomatoes).
Fresh – This sundried tomato pasta recipe pasta has several fresh elements such as fresh spinach, fresh herbs, and fresh lemon juice that help balance out the richness of the sauce.
Easy – This easy recipe is made with minimal ingredients and comes together quickly.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this sun dried tomato spinach pasta recipe:

Rigatoni or penne pasta – or another type of pasta shape.
Extra virgin olive oil
Minced garlic
Red pepper flakes – also called chili flakes
Italian seasoning
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Tomato paste
Dairy free butter
Chicken broth
Full-fat coconut milk
Sun-dried tomatoes
Fresh baby spinach
Lemon juice
Chicken Italian sausage
Fresh basil

How to Make Spinach and Sun Dried Tomato Pasta: Step By Step

The full instructions and ingredient list will be in the printable recipe card below!

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water then drain.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat with olive oil. Once hot, add the garlic cloves, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, a good pinch of kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the tomato paste. Cook for a few minutes or until the tomato paste has deepened in color. Add the butter and mix until melted.
Add the broth and coconut milk. Whisk until incorporated. Simmer for a couple of minutes.
Stir in the sun dried tomatoes, baby spinach, and juice of 1/2 lemon. Season to taste with more kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir in the cooked pasta and toss in the sauce, adding a few tablespoons of cooked pasta water, as needed, to thin the sauce.
Mix in your cooked Italian sausage or chicken and garnish with fresh basil. Enjoy!

Helpful Tips

Make the sauce even more flavorful by using the infused olive oil from the jar of sun dried tomatoes.
To get the look of parmesan cheese, I grated a Brazilian nut using a microplane. You don’t taste it, but it creates a beautiful presentation.

Quick Tip: Don’t forget to reserve some of the pasta water before you drain the pasta. The starchy goodness in the water from the cooked pasta helps to create a more cohesive sauce and allows the sauce to cling to the pasta.

Storage

Store leftover pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.

Make It Your Way: Substitutions & Variations

Please remember that recipes are just a starting point.

How can you make this creamy sun-dried tomato pasta recipe using what you already have? Here are some ideas…

No chicken broth? – use vegetable broth or white wine.
No Italian sausage? – add cooked chicken breast.
Make it vegetarian/vegan – use vegetable broth and protein pasta, and omit the chicken sausage.
Not dairy free? – use unsalted butter and heavy cream.
Add-ins – fresh cherry tomatoes, sauteed mushrooms, or dairy free parmesan.

More Dinner Recipes

I hope you love this Spinach and Sun Dried Tomato Pasta! If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a comment & a star rating below. Thank you!