Mediterranean Pasta Recipe – The Pasta Undertaking

Expertise the colourful flavors of the Mediterranean with this simple pasta recipe. It takes simply 40 minutes to make and makes use of 8 frequent Mediterranean elements. It’s good for a straightforward household dinner or for these following the Mediterranean eating regimen.

This recipe relies on a pasta dish I had in a restaurant in Emilia-Romagna as a part of a household celebration.

There are a selection of variations of this pasta with Mediterranean sauce right here in Italy however the fundamental elements are principally the identical olive oil, tomatoes, olives, capers, garlic, and peperoncino. These are typical Mediterranean eating regimen elements.

The Historical past of Mediterranean Pasta

Pasta has been a staple ingredient in Italian delicacies for hundreds of years. The primary dried pasta was made in Sicily in the course of the time of the Arab occupation (827-902AD). And, contemporary pasta is claimed to this point again to Roman instances and even earlier.

So, it’s not shocking that pasta performs a giant half within the Italian kitchen. Nonetheless, Italy isn’t the one Mediterranean nation with conventional pasta dishes.

No person eats as a lot pasta because the Italians, however you’ll find pasta and pasta dishes in different Med international locations resembling Spain (fideo), Greece (orzo, flomaria, pastitsio) Morocco (couscous, seffa), Tunisia (makrona arbi, hlalem), and Israel (ptitim, kugel noodles).

Pasta is central to the true Mediterranean eating regimen (Italians eat on common 23-26 kilos a yr per particular person!). Regardless of what some individuals assume, it’s a wholesome balanced meals, that can also be good to make use of with so many different wholesome elements like on this Mediterranean pasta recipe.

Ingredient Notes

• Pasta: I used penne for this recipe, however you can additionally use different quick pasta like fusilli. A protracted skinny ribbon pasta like tagliolini would additionally work effectively.
• Anchovy Fillets: Anchovy fillets add a wealthy and savory taste to the sauce. Nonetheless, they’re solely generally current and may be overlooked for a vegetarian/vegan model.
• Tomato: You need to use passata, canned peeled tomatoes, contemporary cherry, or vine tomatoes.
• Olives: I used a mixture of inexperienced and black taggiasca olives which added a savory taste to the sauce. In case you have a unique kind of olive that you simply love, be at liberty to make use of them as a substitute.
• Salted Capers: Salted capers add a novel kick of taste to the sauce. Simply ensure that to rinse the surplus salt off them earlier than including them in any other case, the sauce could also be too salty.
• Garlic: Garlic provides a flavorful base to the dish. We barely caramelize the garlic on this recipe to offer our sauce a extra sturdy taste.
• Additional Virgin Olive Oil: The olive oil provides depth and richness to the sauce. For one of the best taste, use good-quality further virgin olive oil.
• Parsley: A handful of contemporary parsley provides shade and freshness to the pasta sauce. If you happen to don’t have parsley available, it’s also possible to use contemporary basil, which is frequent in a Mediterranean sauce.

Skilled Suggestions

These skilled ideas will assist your pasta go from nice to glorious!

Perfecting the Pasta: The pasta needs to be cooked till it’s nearly al dente as we’ll proceed to cook dinner it within the Mediterranean sauce. Cooking the pasta additional within the sauce helps it soak up the flavorful sauce.

Infusing the Anchovy Taste: When cooking the anchovies, allow them to take their time melting into the olive oil. You may be tempted to rush this step, however endurance pays off right here. This gradual melting course of infuses the oil with a depth of taste that varieties a scrumptious base for the dish.

Pasta Water: When it’s time to empty the pasta, reserve a number of the pasta water. If wanted, this starchy water may be added to the simmering sauce to assist obtain the right consistency. It’s additionally a bit trick that makes your pasta look further shiny.

Prepare dinner’s tip: Italian cooks don’t add salt to chilly water as a result of it can’t solely damage the pot, but in addition the water will take a bit longer to boil. The salt is added because the water begins to boil.

Step by Step Directions

1) Warmth 4 tablespoons of additional virgin olive oil in a deep sauté pan. Add the peeled garlic clove and sauté till it begins to brown barely.

2) Stir within the chopped anchovies to the pan. They’ll regularly soften into the olive oil.

Be aware: If you happen to’re utilizing peperoncino flakes, add them now and cook dinner them for only some seconds, being cautious to not allow them to burn.

3) Stir within the tomato passata and the ready black and inexperienced olives. Season the sauce with salt to style and a pinch of pepper, then let it simmer over low warmth for about 20 minutes, stirring often.

4) In the meantime, convey a big pot of water to a boil. Add salt as soon as it begins to boil, then convey it again to the boil earlier than including your pasta. Prepare dinner the pasta for barely much less time than the directions on the packet advocate till it’s nearly al dente.

Be aware: We are going to proceed to cook dinner the pasta within the Mediterranean sauce later within the recipe.

5) Close to the tip of the sauce’s cooking time, stir within the rinsed capers and chopped parsley.

6) As soon as the pasta is cooked, reserve one cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta and add it on to the sauce.

7) Prepare dinner the pasta for a further 1-2 minutes within the sauce, including pasta water if wanted to skinny out the sauce. As soon as the pasta is al dente and the sauce is at your required consistency, flip off the warmth.

Be aware: I used roughly one-third of a cup of pasta water, however this will fluctuate.

8) Portion the pasta into bowls and serve.

Storage and Leftovers

This Mediterranean Pasta is greatest loved contemporary, however when you have leftovers, retailer them in an hermetic container within the fridge. They’ll preserve effectively for as much as 3 days.

To reheat, you need to use both a microwave, stovetop or oven. If utilizing a stovetop, add a splash of water to forestall the pasta from drying out and cook dinner over medium warmth with a lid on, mixing frequently till sizzling all through.

If utilizing a microwave, add a tablespoon of water and reheat lined till sizzling all through, mixing midway by means of.

Then lastly, my favourite technique to reheat this Mediterranean pasta is within the oven. You may add the pasta to a baking dish, add a sprinkle of Parmigiano Reggiano or mozzarella slices on high and bake at 350F (180c) till sizzling all through.

FAQs

Extra Mediterranean Recipes You Might Like:

If you happen to do do that recipe, I’d love to listen to what you assume. Please write a remark right here on the weblog or publish a touch upon the Pasta Project Facebook page.

Your suggestions means quite a bit to me!

Buon urge for food!

Images by Jack Slobodian.

This recipe was initially printed in 2017. It has been up to date with new photographs and textual content.

Mediterranean Pasta Recipe

Jacqueline Debono

Expertise the colourful flavors of the Mediterranean with this simple pasta recipe. It takes simply 40 minutes to make and makes use of 8 frequent Mediterranean elements. It is good for a straightforward household dinner or for these following the Mediterranean eating regimen.

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Prepare dinner Time 30 minutes minutes

Whole Time 40 minutes minutes

Course Important Course

Delicacies Italian

Servings 4

Energy 564 kcal

Elements 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 14 oz penne
• 4 tbsp further virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic peeled
• 1.4 oz anchovy fillets in oil finely chopped
• 3.5 oz tomato passata
• 3.5 oz pitted black and inexperienced taggiasca olives you need to use different sorts of olives too
• 0.7 oz salted capers rinsed from salt
• 1 handful contemporary parsley chopped
• salt
• black pepper
• 1 tsp peperoncino flakes elective
• parmigiano reggiano grated (elective)

Directions 

• Warmth 4 tablespoons of additional virgin olive oil in a deep sauté pan. Add the peeled garlic clove and sauté till it begins to brown barely.

• Stir within the chopped anchovies to the pan. They’ll regularly soften into the olive oil.

• Be aware: If you happen to’re utilizing peperoncino flakes, add them now and cook dinner them for only some seconds, being cautious to not allow them to burn.

• Stir within the tomato passata and the ready black and inexperienced olives. Season the sauce with salt to style and a pinch of pepper, then let it simmer over low warmth for about 20 minutes, stirring often.

• In the meantime, convey a big pot of water to a boil. Add salt as soon as it begins to boil, then convey it again to the boil earlier than including your pasta. Prepare dinner the pasta for barely much less time than the directions on the packet advocate till it is nearly al dente as we are going to proceed to cook dinner the pasta within the Mediterranean sauce later within the recipe.

• Close to the tip of the sauce’s cooking time, stir within the rinsed capers and chopped parsley.

• As soon as the pasta is cooked, reserve one cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta and add it on to the sauce.

• Prepare dinner the pasta for a further 1-2 minutes within the sauce, including pasta water if wanted to skinny out the sauce. As soon as the pasta is al dente and the sauce is at your required consistency, flip off the warmth.

• Portion the pasta into bowls and serve.

Notes

• I used penne for this recipe, however you can additionally use different quick pasta like fusilli. A protracted skinny ribbon pasta like tagliolini would additionally work effectively.
• Leftovers may be saved in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3 days.

Vitamin

Energy: 564kcalCarbohydrates: 78gProtein: 17gFats: 20gSaturated Fats: 3gPolyunsaturated Fats: 3gMonounsaturated Fats: 14gLdl cholesterol: 9mgSodium: 909mgPotassium: 408mgFiber: 5gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 321IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 67mgIron: 3mg

Key phrase Mediterranean Weight-reduction plan Pasta, Mediterranean Pasta

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In case you are fascinated with studying easy methods to make different home made pasta and various kinds of gnocchi, take a look at my store web page for some nice video on-line programs from my mates in Rome! Nothing beats studying to make pasta from Italians! Plus when you’re there why not order a duplicate of one in all my pasta recipe cookbooks or checkout some beneficial pasta making instruments?