Kalamata Olive Pasta
This Kalamata olive pasta is a simple way to use up any leftover olives and sun-dried tomatoes you might have on hand. Tossed with baby spinach for some healthy greens, it also delivers plenty of flavor.
Recipe Mood: Pasta Night
Indulgence Level: Medium
Effort Level: Easy
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Ingredient-Stretching Tip: Have more sun-dried tomatoes on hand? Make this sun-dried tomato omelette. You can also use a surplus of Kalamata olives in this Italian peppers with olives and breadcrumbs recipe.
When it comes to simple yet flavorful pasta recipes, I’m all in. This Kalamata olive pasta comes together quickly and offers a salty bite, thanks to a generous amount of sliced Kalamata olives and sun-dried tomatoes.
The colors are equally vibrant, made more vivid by sneaked-in baby spinach, and the savory goodness comes full circle with an ample dusting of Pecorino Romano cheese (If there’s one cheese I could take with me to a desert island, it would be Pecorino Romano.)
This Kalamata olive pasta is one of those recipes that could be easily enhanced with complementary ingredients like artichoke hearts, crumbled feta, cherry tomatoes, and capers. Or, you can keep it simple and still enjoy a delicious pasta dish.
Why You’ll Love This Kalamata Olive Pasta
Quick weeknight meal: This meal requires little effort to prepare, with minimal cooking involved.
Great way to clean out your refrigerator: If you’ve had those opened jars of olives and sun-dried tomatoes lining your refrigerator shelves, this recipe makes good use of them.
Key Ingredients
- Kalamata Olives: You can use any olives you like, but the complex flavor of Kalamata olives works best here.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Use the sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil for maximum flavor.
- Pecorino Romano Cheese: This pungent cheese really elevates this simple dish.
See the recipe card below for more information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make This Recipe
- Cook the pasta: Boil the pasta in a large pot of salted water until desired tenderness. Drain and reserve some pasta water.
- Cook the “sauce”: Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and sun-dried tomato oil in a large pan. Cook the sliced garlic until lightly golden. Add the baby spinach with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and cook until the spinach wilts. Stir in the olives and sun-dried tomatoes and heat through.
- Assemble the pasta: Toss the mixture with the cooked pasta and loosen it with a bit of pasta water.
- Finish: Drizzle the served pasta with extra virgin olive oil, if desired, and sprinkle with Pecorino Romano cheese.
Pro Tips
Prepare ingredients beforehand: Cut down on time by measuring the baby spinach, Kalamata olives, and sun-dried tomatoes beforehand and slicing the latter two. Store everything in the fridge until you’re ready to cook.
Cook the garlic carefully: IMHO, lightly golden cooked sliced garlic is more delicious than a quick sautée of minced, but make sure not to overcook it, or it will turn bitter.
Drizzle some EVOO onto the finished pasta: You’ll need some pasta water to help loosen and moisten the pasta, but a splash of extra virgin olive oil will also add moisture and luscious flavor.
Variations & Substitutions
-Add some crumbled feta for a Greek-inspired pasta.
-Garnish with fresh herbs like parsley and basil.
-Use any olives you have on hand.
-Include artichoke hearts, capers, and/or sliced cherry tomatoes for a heartier dish (Sautée the cherry tomatoes for a bit.)
-Add some grilled chicken for protein.
Recipe FAQs
I use both because they amp up the garlic flavor in this recipe.
Yes, you can leave them whole, but I think they taste better sliced in half. You can also dice them, if you prefer.
Storage
Refrigerator: Store this pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator and consume within 3 days.
Freezer: I don’t generally recommend freezing pasta because it changes its consistency (and not for the better).
Reheat: Reheat in the oven at 300F, covered, until warmed through. You can also reheat it in the microwave, but it’s also enjoyable cold or at room temperature.
More Simple Pasta Recipes
- Linguine aglio e olio with roasted garlic
- Linguine with clams, anchovies, and breadcrumbs
- Broccoli pasta with anchovy breadcrumbs
If you’ve enjoyed this recipe, please take a moment to leave a five-star review below. You could also tag me on Instagram (@forcarbssake) with a picture of your finished dish!
Kalamata Olive Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces pasta
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomato oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes
- 3 garlic cloves peeled and sliced thinly
- 2 cups baby spinach tightly packed, left whole or roughly chopped
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup Kalamata olives sliced in half (Note 1)
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, sliced thinly
- Grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package's directions or until al dente. Reserve at least ½ cup of pasta water before draining.
- Meanwhile, heat both the olive oil and sun-dried tomato oil in a large pan over medium-low to medium heat. Add the garlic and cook just until lightly golden, stirring often.
- Add the baby spinach to the pan along with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Sauté until the spinach fully wilts, 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in the olives and sun-dried tomatoes and heat through, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Toss the olive and sun-dried tomato mixture with the cooked pasta. Add some pasta water to loosen and moisten the dish. Drizzle the pasta with some extra virgin olive oil for more flavor, if desired, and garnish with plenty of Pecorino Romano cheese. Enjoy!