Pasta With Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce

This is a recipe that I got out of my June/July '07 Cook's Country magazine under the 30-minute Supper category. It is very simple to make and would be even better with some sauteed pancetta. My only issue with this recipe is that it calls for 1 pound of penne or ziti and serves 4. This would have been much better if I had followed my instincts and used only 1/2 pound of pasta. The sauce would have gone a lot further, it was a real struggle to coat the pasta with the amount of sauce that this recipe made. Other than that, the flavor was great and the recipe is so simple! Try it with less pasta or double the sauce if you are cooking for six.

Pasta w/ Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 small onion, chopped fine (I used 1/2 cup)
2 garlic cloves or 1 large, minced
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, rinsed, patted dry and minced
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup heavy cream
salt
1 pound penne or ziti (take my advice, you 1/2 pound)
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
Ground black pepper
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in large pot. Meanwhile, melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Cook onion until soft and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes, diced tomatoes and cream. Increase heat to medium-high and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup cooking water, drain pasta and return to pot. Add sauce and basil to pot and toss to combine, adding reserved pasta water as needed. Season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with Parmesan.