This flavorful pasta with olives is a brilliant example of how to make a quick pasta dish that’s totally delicious with just a handful of basic ingredients. Garlic, juicy olives, the fresh parsley and lemon zest, all big flavors!
¼ or ½tspchilli flakes (crushed red peppers), according to you taste
¾ cupKalamata olive or green olives, pitted and cut into halves (I mix both halved and whole olives)
1 lemon, zest (finely grated)
3Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
3Tbspparmesan cheese, grated (plus more for serving if you wish)optional
salt, to taste
Instructions
PASTA
Firstly, bring a pot of salty water to the boil and cook your pasta until al dente. Follow the instructions on the package.
When you drain the pasta, reserve at least ½ cup of pasta cooking water.
OLIVES
While the pasta is cooking, prepare the olives. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
Add garlic and chilli flakes, cook until fragrant (about 30-45 seconds), then add the olives and stir for about 3-4 minutes. Turn the heat off.
In a small bowl, mix the grated parmesan cheese if you use it, chopped parsley and grated lemon zest.
When the pasta is drained, add it to the pan along with the mix of parsley, lemon and parmesan cheese. Turn the heat on, add some of the pasta cooking water and toss for about 10 seconds, just until well combined and nicely coated. Add the cooking water gradually, you don't want to water down the flavor.
Serve hot with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of chilli flakes if you like. Plus grated parmesan cheese if you don't keep it vegan. Enjoy!
Notes
Salt: you need salt basically for the pasta cooking water, not for the olives which already bring saltiness to the dish along with savory parmesan cheese and salty pasta water. Storage: it keeps in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Gently reheat in a non-stick pan with some olive oil over medium-low heat.Nutrition facts: Please note that the nutrition values are based on an online nutrition calculator. It’s an estimate only and it should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. The nutrition value is for one serving (the parmesan cheese and the final drizzle of olive oil are not included).