Linguine with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Toasted Pignoli Garlic Sauce

My friend Sarah cooked this at our girls' weekend last year.  It's a fancy dish that doesn't require a whole lot of time. And it's to die for!


3 cloves garlic, minced fine
1 tablespoon minced shallots (or minced onion)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup dry white wine (or white grape juice with a dash of apple cider vinegar)
2 cup half-and-half
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil
2 teaspoons instant beef bouillon crystals
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped fine
1/2 cup toasted pignoli nuts (optional)
1 lb fresh linguine (or bow tie pasta)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

Boil water for pasta.  Add pasta and cook to taste.

While pasta is cooking, toast pignoli nuts lightly in oven or nonstick teflon fry pan.

In a large skillet or sauce pot, saute garlic and shallots in olive oil.

Add white wine and cook to reduce by half.

Add half-and-half, then bouillon crystals to sauce and reduce again by half.
Add tomato paste and mix well to blend in sauce. Add the basil.
Add toasted pignoli nuts. Stir to mix.

Add the sun-dried tomatoes and parsley and stir. Let this simmer gently while the pasta cooks.

Put pasta in skillet with sauce and mix well. Empty pasta and sauce into a large serving dish. Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese over the pasta.