Olive Pesto Pasta
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Recipe Intro From lisathompson
Let’s make dinner in 15 minutes. I always have buttery Castelvetrano olives in my pantry, and this pasta recipe makes them the star of the dish! Give the olives the pesto treatment while your pasta is cooking by blitzing them in a food processor with almonds, parsley, garlic, and lemon zest, then emulsify them with olive oil, a hit of olive brine, and lemon juice for brightness. Toss olive pesto with cooked pasta and some pasta water for an easy, vegan dinner. No food processor? You can finely chop the olives, almonds, parsley, and garlic all together by hand on a big cutting board, then stir in the liquid ingredients in a bowl to emulsify. The result is a little coarser but still really delicious and this method still only takes about 5 minutes.
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Recipe Card
ingredients
- 1 pound dried reginetti pasta, cavatappi, or fusilli pasta (use gluten-free pasta if necessary)
- Kosher salt
- 1 heaping cup pitted Castelvetrano olives, (reserve brine)
- 1/3 cup raw blanched almonds
- 1 cup fresh parsley leaves
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 3 tablespoons reserved olive brine
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
Method
Step 1
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a few tablespoons of salt to boiling water and cook pasta al dente according to package instructions (around 9-10 minutes). Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain.
Step 2
Meanwhile, add olives, almonds, parsley leaves, garlic, and lemon zest to the bowl of a food processor and process in long pulses until mixture is semi-coarse with a little creaminess. Pulse in olive brine, lemon juice, and olive oil until just combined. **Alternatively, chop olives, almonds, garlic, parsley, and lemon zest vigorously with a sharp knife by hand on a large cutting board for about 5 minutes, scraping the bits into the center and pressing with the side of your knife as you chop. (Pesto chopped by hand will be a coarser texture, but still very delicious). Transfer chopped olive mixture to a medium bowl and stir in olive brine, lemon juice, and olive oil. Season to taste with kosher salt.
Step 3
Return pasta to pot and add 3/4 of the olive mixture and pasta water. Stir until well combined and emulsified.
Step 4
Serve pasta into bowls and top with a spoonful of remaining olive mixture and a drizzle of olive oil.