Cajun Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
Cajun spices liven up the depth and richness of sun-dried tomatoes in this pasta dish. In case that's not enough, we added bocconcini, darling little marble-sized balls of fresh mozzarella.
Servings
Produce

Garlic (Organic)
4 2 Clove

Yellow Onion (Organic)
1/2 0.25 Whole

Spinach (Organic)
6 3 oz

Cremini mushrooms
6 3 oz

Broccoli (Organic)
8 4 oz
Protein & more

Penne
10 5 oz

Sun-dried tomatoes
3.5 1.75 oz

Bocconcini (in water)
6 3 floz
Pantry items

Sea salt
1 0.5 teaspoon

Olive oil
1 0.5 tablespoon
Spice mix

Sweet paprika
1 0.5 teaspoon

Granulated Onion
1 0.5 teaspoon

Granulated Garlic
1 0.5 teaspoon

Dried thyme
1/4 0.125 teaspoon

Dried oregano
1/4 0.125 teaspoon

Sage, ground
1/4 0.125 teaspoon

Black pepper
1/8 0.065 teaspoon

White Pepper
1/8 0.065 teaspoon

Cayenne powder
1/8 0.065 teaspoon
Prep ahead (optional)
a. Chop spinach bite-sized. b. Thinly slice broccoli stems, chop florets bite-sized. c. ¼” dice yellow onion. d. Slice cremini mushrooms ¼” thick. e. Mince garlic.
Instructions
1
Cook penne:
a. In large saucepan or dutch oven over high heat, add 8 cups water (4 cups for 2-person portion). Cover and bring to a boil.
b. Add 1 tsp salt and penne; immediately stir.
c. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook penne until al dente, about 10-13 minutes.
d. When pasta is cooked, reserve and set aside ½ cup pasta water. Then drain pasta but don’t rinse.
2
Cook vegetables:
a. In large sauté pan over medium-high heat, add 1 tbsp olive oil.
b. Add garlic (mince), ½ yellow onion (¼” dice), broccoli stems (thinly slice), ½ tsp salt, and Cajun spice mix. Cook until onion is translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
c. Add broccoli florets (small bite-sized) and about ¼ cup pasta water. Cook until broccoli begins to soften, about 2-3 minutes.
d. Add cremini mushrooms (¼”-thick slices) and sun-dried tomatoes (thinly slice); cook until mushrooms are caramelized, about 2 minutes.
e. Add penne and toss to combine.
f. Add spinach (chop bite-sized); toss until wilted, about 1 minute.
g. Add bocconcini and toss to combine.
3
Serve:
a. Divide penne and vegetables among plates. Pour the wine and dig in!
Chef's notes
As far as Cajun spice mixes go, this is a mild one with only a pinch of cayenne. Still, if you have a sensitive palate, start with just one-third or half of the spice mix until you can give it a taste and feel ready to add more.
All spice mixes and dressings made by Inner Chef from scratch with organic ingredients, local when possible.
This week’s local ingredients across all Inner Chef meal-kits come from:
Gundermann Acres,
Wharton County, TX
Wharton County, TX
Fagan Family Farm
Lone Star Herbs,
League City, TX
League City, TX
G&S Groves,
Mission, TX
Mission, TX
The Farm Patch,
Pleasanton, TX
Pleasanton, TX
Kitchen Pride,
Gonzales, TX
Gonzales, TX
Fruitful Hill Farm,
Bastrop, TX
Bastrop, TX
J&B Farms,
Hondo, TX
Hondo, TX
Martinez Farms,
Pleasanton, TX
Pleasanton, TX
J&D Farms
Village Farms,
Marfa, TX
Marfa, TX