Soak sun-dried tomatoes in boiling water until soft, about 10 minutes. Chop into small pieces.
Boil a pot of water and season generously with salt (1 tablespoon per litre of water). Add in pasta and cook according to package's instructions until al dente.
While the pasta is cooking, heat olive oil over medium heat in a frying pan. Add in garlic and cook until the garlic is golden. Stir in the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and chilli flakes, if using. If pasta is not ready by now, remove the frying pan from heat.
When the pasta is ready, return the frying pan to medium heat. Reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water and strain the pasta. Add into the frying pan and toss to coat with the oil. If the pasta seems dry, add in the pasta water bit by bit.
Stir in the fresh herbs, if using. Transfer into a serving dish and serve immediately.
NOTES
- If you are using oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, there's no need to soak the sun-dried tomatoes. Just chop them up and add into the garlic mixture.