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Zesty Olive Pasta

February 18, 2016 by Tory Leave a Comment

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I know I’ve shared before that I have some serious concerns about my sister. I think the example I used was her (and her husband’s) dislike of goulash. Blasphemy, I say! Simply un-American. Further proof that something has gone seriously wrong with her, is she doesn’t like olives. Which, now that I think about it, is weird, because I know she makes olive-stuffed cheese balls (Dana’s note: what Tory forgot to mention is that when I eat olive cheese balls, I pick out the olive and only eat the cheesy crust)… She is not alone, it seems I’m running into more and more people in my adult life that don’t like olives, I simply don’t understand it. These people tend to also not subscribe to some of my other favorite foods- pickles and sauerkraut. Apparently, there are people out there that don’t like salty tangy goodness. Weirdos. Anyway, when Dana and I were planning our Lenten recipes, I got all excited about this one, her response was “well, it has olives, so I wouldn’t like it but…” or something like that. Well, I won, and I’m making it anyway!

I think I found this recipe in an edition of Bon Appetit, but honestly it doesn’t say on the page I tore out of the magazine. Based on my experience following their directions, I’d change up a few things next time, I’ll let you know what. If you like salty olives, garlicy pasta, then you’ll love this. The flavors are bold and wonderful, and of course gets better with time, making excellent leftovers. Here’s what I used:

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I swapped out the anchovies for fish sauce, but honestly, I’m not sure that was necessary. I can imagine that the anchovies add a nice flavor to the sauce, but I just. can’t. do. anchovies.

Start by browning the bread crumbs. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a pan, over medium heat, add then breadcrumbs and stir occasionally until they are a nice golden brown. This will probably take 3-5 minutes.

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Remove from the heat and add the lemon zest and dill, stir around, and set aside.

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Cook the pasta according to package instructions, save 1/2 cup of the pasta water, then drain.

While the pasta is cooking, make the “sauce.” I write “sauce” because what I made didn’t really turn out like a sauce, more like a topping. Anyway, start by mashing the garlic. I added about 1/2 teaspoon of fish sauce and some salt. I smashed it with the side of my knife blade, then mashed it with a spoon, but next time I would grate it on my microplane, I think it would make a better paste for the “sauce.” Add the olives, capers, parsley, basil and about 1/2 cup of olive oil to a large bowl and combine, then season with some salt and pepper. The recipe called for 1/2 cup of oil, that seemed like a lot to me, I probably added more like 1/4 – 1/3 cup- this could be why mine was only a “sauce”…

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Add the pasta to the bowl, slowly add the saved pasta water while you stir to combine the pasta and “sauce” also, slowly mix in the Parmesan cheese. Then stir in the lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper.

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Serve the pasta and top with your bread crumbs. Enjoy!

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Zesty Olive Pasta
 
Print
Prep time
20 mins
Cook time
10 mins
Total time
30 mins
 
Olives, garlic, capers, dill, basil, and pasta- what's not to love?! This pasta dish is full of bold salty flavors.
Author: Gravel & Dine
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 12 oz package of linguine
  • ¼ cup panko bread crumbs
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 1 cup green olives, halved
  • 3 Tablespoons capers
  • ½ cup chopped fresh basil
  • 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 small garlic clove
  • ½ teaspoon fish sauce
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill
  • ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Brown the breadcrumbs in 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and mix in the lemon zest and dill
  2. Cook the pasta according to package directions, save ½ cup of the pasta water, then drain
  3. Mash the garlic and combine with a pinch of salt, fish oil, olives, capers, parsley, basil, in a large bowl, season with salt and pepper
  4. Add the pasta to the large bowl, stir while slowly adding the pasta water and Parmesan cheese
  5. Add lemon juice and salt and pepper
  6. Serve the pasta and top with the bread crumbs.
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Filed Under: Main Dishes, Meatless, Pasta Tagged With: lent recipe, olives, pasta

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We’re two sisters whose story began at the end of a gravel road in Northern MN. We love to cook, share new recipes with each other, and are excited to share what we love to cook with you!

Hey, It's Tory! I've somewhat recently decided that cooking my own food is fun and can be healthier. I'm hoping this blog will inspire me to create healthy, tasty dishes! Learn More…

Hi! I'm Dana! I love being in the kitchen trying new recipes or perfecting old favorites. I am the chef of our hunting camps but am known for my cookies as much as my food! Learn More…

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