Pasta with Artichoke Hearts, Sun Dried Tomatoes, and Toasted Almonds

Fusilli pasta tossed with marinated artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, and toasted almonds.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated December 17, 2022
Elise Bauer
Pasta with Artichoke Hearts & Sun Dried Tomatoes
Elise Bauer

The summer potluck season is here! One of the challenges of preparing a dish to share with a group is food sensitivities or preferences.

Some of your gathering may be vegetarian, or gluten-free, or dairy-free, or all three. Pasta is pretty easy to do gluten-free, there are many gluten-free brands available that are pretty good (we've been using Bionaturae lately).

But if you're going dairy-free, what about the Parm? To me pasta without Parmesan, or some other nutty cheese, is just missing something. So, following a tip from Sunset Magazine, I used chopped toasted almonds instead. You still get that nutty richness from the almonds, and lots of flavor.

Pasta with Artichoke Hearts & Sun Dried Tomatoes
Elise Bauer

One of the things I have found using gluten-free pasta is that it doesn't do as well cold, as wheat pasta. I made the dish both ways, using gluten-free and regular pasta. Both were great warm and freshly made.

The regular pasta version was also good cold and reheated. The gluten-free version got a little stiff when chilled, and never fully recovered when reheated.

I love this pasta dish as a basis for experimentation. The original idea came from a farfalle roasted pepper recipe in Sunset. I could also see tossing in fresh sliced basil or strips of grilled chicken.

Pasta with Artichoke Hearts, Sun Dried Tomatoes, and Toasted Almonds

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Servings 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pound fusilli pasta (use gluten-free pasta for gluten-free version)

  • Salt

  • 1 (14-ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained, hearts cut into eighths, about 1 1/2 cups

  • 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, removed from oil (reserve oil), chopped

  • 1 cup toasted almonds, chopped

  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped, loosely packed, more or less to taste

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Method

  1. Cook the pasta, al dente:

    Bring a large pot of well salted water to a vigorous boil. Add the pasta to the boiling water and let cook, uncovered, at a full boil, for the amount of time specified on the pasta package, minus about 2 minutes. Test, the pasta should be cooked through, but still firm to the bite, al dente.

    While the pasta is cooking, prep the other ingredients.

  2. Place the cut marinated artichoke hearts, the chopped sun-dried tomatoes, the toasted almonds, and lemon zest in a large bowl
  3. Drain pasta, add to artichoke hearts:

    When the pasta is done, drain it, and add the pasta into the bowl with the artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes. Toss gently to mix.

  4. Season with lemon juice, pepper, parsley, oil:

    Sprinkle lemon juice, parsley, and black pepper over the pasta, toss to mix.

    Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the sun-dried tomato oil to the pasta, and 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss to mix. Taste and adjust seasonings.

    At this point you can make ahead and reheat to serve.

    Serve warm.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
251 Calories
14g Fat
26g Carbs
8g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 251
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g 18%
Saturated Fat 1g 7%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 405mg 18%
Total Carbohydrate 26g 9%
Dietary Fiber 4g 16%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 8mg 42%
Calcium 59mg 5%
Iron 2mg 11%
Potassium 333mg 7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.