If you love sun-dried tomatoes, read this
A Tavva take on a classic Italian ingredient– creamy sun-dried tomato pasta that delivers in every bite.
A note from Val: How this dish came together
Sun-dried tomatoes have been part of Italian cooking for generations, especially in Southern Italy.
In places like Sicily and Calabria, families would harvest ripe tomatoes at the peak of summer, salt them, and lay them out on ceramic rooftops under the hot Mediterranean sun. Over a few days, the tomatoes would slowly dry, concentrating their flavor so they could be used long after the season ended.
What started as a way to preserve food turned into something even better- an ingredient with a deep, rich, slightly sweet flavor that’s more intense than fresh tomatoes.
That’s what makes sun-dried tomatoes so good! And the perfect ingredient to use on the Tavva menu.
I had the idea to make a sun-dried tomato herb spread for some of our menu items (I’ll share those soon!). After making the spread, I thought, this would be so good in our marinara.
I tested out our house-made marinara with the sun-dried tomato spread and added a little cream. The result was amazing! It’s creamy, flavorful, and has a slight spicy kick. It pairs perfectly with our bucatini pasta.
When it came to the meat, crumbled Italian sausage was the obvious choice. I love the flavor it adds to the sauce. Plus, it brings more variety to the menu beyond chicken and meatballs.
To bring it all together, it needed the right finishing touches- lots of fresh basil and grated parmesan cheese.
Finally, this pasta is served with a side of our homemade focaccia to soak up every last bit of that creamy sun-dried tomato marinara.
I love how this dish came together. While it’s not a traditional Italian dish, it’s packed with classic Italian ingredients and flavors.
I can’t wait for you to try it!