Simple, umami-filled pasta magic
This Pasta with Olive Tapenade is one of my favorite ways to include a meatless dish on our dinner menu without sacrificing the heartiness that comes with a traditional savory meat-centric dish. The savory umami of the olive tapenade is the clear star of the show in this dish. When paired with a simple pasta, some deliciously salty Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, a drizzle of garlic-infused olive oil, a squeeze of lemon, and a generous sprinkle of red pepper flakes and fresh parsley, it becomes magical.
What is olive tapenade?
Olive tapenade is a French condiment comprised of olives, capers, and sometimes anchovies. It comes from the Provençal word for capers, 'tapenas,' and is served in a pureed or roughly chopped form. My version of olive tapenade does not include anchovies and instead consists of both Manzanilla olives stuffed with pimento and Kalamata olives along with capers, parsley, garlic-infused olive oil, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. I generally prefer to blend my olive tapenade until it has a gravelly consistency in my food processor, but you can chop yours roughly with a chef's knife or puree yours until it's spreadable and smooth if you prefer.
What type of pasta works best with olive tapenade?
I generally prefer to make this Pasta with Olive Tapenade with spaghetti as the olive tapenade disperses well within its thin noodles so you get plenty of tapenade in each twirl. However, if you prefer another pasta shape, feel free to use those instead. I think this dish would be wonderful tossed in with a fusilli pasta because the olive tapenade would cling well to the spirals.
Can I use gluten-free pasta?
Yes, absolutely. Though you can feel free to use whichever gluten-free pasta you prefer, some of my favorite options for this dish are 365 by Whole Foods Corn and Rice Spaghetti, Tinkyada Brown Rice Spaghetti, or Trader Joes Brown Rice Spaghetti Pasta.
Can I add meat to this vegetarian pasta dish?
Yes, though the dish is designed to be plenty hearty on its own, if you'd like to add some additional protein with meat I say go for it! I will occasionally pair it with roasted salmon when I'm looking to get a little extra protein in my day. Chicken and steak would both work well in this dish and I think it would be especially lovely with shrimp.
What tools do I need to make this recipe?
- A large pot
- A large skillet or saute pan
- A colander
- A mug
- A cutting board
- A chef's knife
- A zester
- A citrus juicer
- A kitchen scale -- OR -- Measuring cups (for less precise measurements)
- Measuring spoons
Are you looking to upgrade to your cooking tools or replenish your pantry? Check out my kitchen tools shop page and pantry staples shop page to find my must-have kitchen tools, pantry items, and other Whip & Wander favorites.
Looking for more dinner inspiration?
Love this Pasta with Olive Tapenade recipe? Here are some more dinner recipes you might enjoy:
- Gorgonzola Pasta with Browned Butter and Lemon
- Pasta with Ricotta Beet Sauce
- Pasta with Butternut Squash Sauce
- Smoked Salmon Pasta Salad
- Anchovy Chicken Thighs with Green Olives and Potatoes
- Green Olive and Feta Pizza
Pasta with Olive Tapenade
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Mains
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
This Pasta with Olive Tapenade is one of my favorite ways to include a meatless dish on our dinner menu without sacrificing the heartiness that comes with a traditional savory meat-centric dish. The savory umami of the olive tapenade is the clear star of the show in this dish. When paired with a simple pasta, some deliciously salty Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, a drizzle of garlic-infused olive oil, a squeeze of lemon, and a generous sprinkle of red pepper flakes and fresh parsley, it becomes magical.
Ingredients
- 1 batch of this olive tapenade
- 16 oz pasta (whichever type you prefer, may use gluten-free pasta if needed)
- 2 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil (may sub for 2 tbsp olive oil + 2 cloves minced garlic)
- 2 tbsp Meyer lemon juice (If you can't find Meyer lemons and use traditional, start with 1 tbsp juice and adjust as desired)
- 2 oz (about 1 cup) Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
- 25 g (about ⅓ cup) finely chopped parsley
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Cook your pasta according to package instructions until it reaches al dente (firm to the bite) tenderness. Carefully remove about a cup of pasta water (I like to use a mug to do this) and drain the rest. Reserve pasta to the side.
- If you're using gluten-free rice pasta: Rice pasta has a tendency to stick together when cooking because it's really starchy, so give it a quick stir every couple of minutes and give the pasta a good rinse after draining to remove the excess starchiness.
- In a large saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat, add the garlic-infused olive oil. Once glistening, add the olive tapenade and stir, cooking for about 1-minute to allow it to get a bit of direct heat.
- Lower the heat to medium and add the lemon juice, stirring to combine.
- Then add the reserved pasta and gently toss to combine. Add incremental amounts of the reserved pasta water as needed to help ensure that the tapenade is dispersed evenly throughout the pasta.
- Sprinkle the pasta with red pepper flakes and gently toss again. Remove from heat.
- Add the parmesan and parsley and gently toss to combine. This dish is lovely served immediately while it's warm or chilled and served cold.
Notes
Nutritional information on Whip & Wander is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅙ of the recipe
- Calories: 549
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 1971 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 64 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 13 g
- Cholesterol: 9 mg
Keywords: olive tapenade, pasta, parmigiano reggiano
I made this for dinner tonight using your recipe for tapenade and I served it with whole wheat thin spaghetti. The flavor of whole wheat pasta can overpower more delicate sauces but the bold flavor of this tapenade works beautifully with whole wheat. Thank you!
★★★★★
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Jill! The olive tapenade is so good with pasta and I agree that the nuttiness of whole wheat is a great match!
Yum! I love olive tapenade - such a great idea for a pasta sauce!
★★★★★
I LOVE olive tapenade but never thought to eat it with pasta! This looks so amazing.
★★★★★
Love the saltiness the tapenade brings to this pasta dish!
Oh man this is PERFECTION! We go meatless almost every night in our house and I can't believe I've never thought to use tapenade as a pasta sauce. I'm going to make this and toss some breadcrumbs in. Mmmm....
★★★★★
This is by far my favorite way to make pasta. The olives are so hearty and flavorful!
These are my flavors......anything olive is just YUM. I don't know why I haven't had it on pasta though. A perfect match!
★★★★★
I'm a huge sucker for olives on or with anything! I've only ever had olive tapenade smeared over crackers or breads. Tossed with pasta sounds amazing, and perfect for summer. I can't wait to try this! Perfect patio dinner 🙂
★★★★★
Thanks, I am a huge fan of olives in everything too. They can really elevate simple dishes in such a fantastic way!
As a major meat lover/planner of meals around meat, I'd totally go for this pasta! I need to try the pasta as I think I'd love the nutty flavour of brown rice pasta. I'll have to check for it the next time I'm at the store!
★★★★★
Good on you for switching it up and trying something like this - I too often find myself stuck thinking about recipes focused around a meat, and it's a habit I'm trying to break. Fortunately I think that pasta's always a good route to go when you're looking to try something different. I like that you went with a different pasta here - not only for the dietary restriction crowd, but because the nutty brown rice flavour works well with the olives and parmesan. Cheers!
★★★★★
This recipe sounds just like the dish my Hubby would devour in a minute. He is an olive nut and he has to have them every single day. Making an olive tapenade and using it with pasta, which we love, would make one successful evening meal.
★★★★★
We do that too, plan around the meat. I am always up for a vegetarian dinner, I don't think dinner always have to have meat. I was first introduced to olive tapenade on a backpacking trip and fell in love. Thanks for this recipe, definitely going to try this!
★★★★★