Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, then add the pasta and cook until done.

Toast the pecans lightly (5 min at 350F).

Put half of the nuts in a food processor or blender, along with the whole sun-dried tomatoes, the oil, water, and pepper to taste. Puree until smooth.

Toss the cooked pasta with the pesto, along with the rest of the pecans, the rest of the chopped sun-dried tomatoes, and the cherry tomatoes.