Description
A quick and flavorful pasta dish featuring a medley of green and black olives, garlic, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, and Parmesan cheese. This simple yet elegant recipe combines tender al dente pasta with a savory olive and tomato sauté, perfect for a satisfying weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 8 oz pasta (penne or fusilli)
Vegetables & Herbs
- 1 cup pitted green and black olives, halved
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup fresh basil, chopped
Other
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking water for later use.
- Sauté garlic: Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, approximately 1 minute, being careful not to burn it.
- Cook olives and tomatoes: Add the halved olives and cherry tomatoes to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes soften and the olives heat through, about 3-4 minutes.
- Toss pasta and sauce: Add the drained pasta to the skillet with the olive and tomato mixture. Toss well to combine, adding reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce and coat the pasta evenly.
- Finish with basil and cheese: Remove the skillet from heat and stir in the chopped fresh basil and grated Parmesan cheese until the cheese melts slightly and everything is well mixed.
- Serve: Serve the pasta immediately, optionally topping with extra grated Parmesan cheese for added flavor.
Notes
- Reserve some pasta cooking water to adjust the sauce consistency as needed.
- Use good quality extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor.
- This recipe can be made with any short pasta shape such as penne or fusilli.
- For a vegan version, omit Parmesan cheese or substitute with a vegan cheese alternative.
- Fresh basil is essential for the bright herbaceous finish; dried basil will not provide the same flavor.
