Sun-Dried Tomatoes
How to Make Sun-Dried Tomatoes in the Oven or Air Fryer (Plus a Simple Pasta Dish!)
I absolutely adore cherry tomatoes for their plump, fresh juiciness and buy them frequently. Sometimes I end up with a surplus, making this recipe a fantastic way to utilize them. Their bright, juicy texture transforms into a delightful chewiness, offering a whole new dimension of flavor. This recipe covers making sun-dried tomatoes in the oven or air fryer, and then using them in a simple pasta dish.
Sun-Dried Tomato Ingredients- 500g cherry tomatoes
- 3 pinches of salt
- 10 sprigs of thyme
- Olive oil, as needed
Pasta Ingredients- 1 serving of pasta
- 2 pinches of salt (for boiling pasta)
- 1/2 tsp liquid chicken stock
- 5-6 sun-dried tomatoes
- 5 frozen cocktail shrimp
- 5 black olives
- 1 serving of pasta
- 2 pinches of salt (for boiling pasta)
- 1/2 tsp liquid chicken stock
- 5-6 sun-dried tomatoes
- 5 frozen cocktail shrimp
- 5 black olives
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, wash the cherry tomatoes thoroughly and pat them dry. Halve the tomatoes. Line a baking sheet or air fryer basket with parchment paper and arrange the tomato halves in a single layer, ensuring they don’t overlap. Preheat your air fryer to 200°C (392°F) for 5 minutes. Sprinkle the salt evenly over the tomatoes, then drizzle with olive oil. Finally, pluck the leaves from the thyme sprigs and scatter them over the tomatoes. (You can remove the parchment paper if desired after placing them in the fryer.)
Step 2
Once the sun-dried tomatoes have cooled slightly, transfer them into a clean, sterilized glass jar. Pour enough olive oil over them to completely submerge the tomatoes. Tip: Using a good quality olive oil here is highly recommended, as the oil will absorb a wonderful flavor and can be used in many other dishes. Store the jar in the refrigerator. They can be kept for quite a long time.
Step 3
Now, let’s make pasta using the homemade sun-dried tomatoes! I’ll show you a super simple one-pan method. Start by heating about 5 thinly sliced garlic cloves in a pan over low heat to infuse the oil with garlic flavor. Once fragrant, pour in water to cook the pasta directly in the same pan.
Step 4
Adjust the amount of water so that when the pasta is almost cooked, there’s just a little liquid remaining, creating a sauce consistency. Cook for about 10 minutes, then season with 1/2 tsp of liquid chicken stock and 2 pinches of salt. Add about 5 frozen cocktail shrimp and sauté them with the pasta.
Step 5
If you’d like a touch of heat, crush some peperoncino and add it to the pan. Finally, add 5-6 of your homemade sun-dried tomatoes and stir-fry for another moment or two before turning off the heat. (I also added a few black olives at this stage for extra flavor and texture.)
Step 6
The result is a moist and flavorful pasta, coated in a rich, slightly thickened sauce that’s perfectly seasoned. See how easily we made a simple pasta dish using oven/air fryer sun-dried tomatoes! For an extra burst of fresh flavor, drizzle a spoonful of the sun-dried tomato oil over the finished pasta just before serving.
