Green Olive Pasta with Lemony Breadcrumbs
If you love olives, this Green Olive Pasta with Lemony Breadcrumbs is the dish for you! It’s buttery and rich, yet bright and fresh, thanks to the lemony breadcrumb topping. This recipe is easy enough to whip up for a quick weeknight dinner, yet impressive enough for a dinner party or date night in!
Ingredients
For the Breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- Zest of 1 small lemon
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For the Pasta
- 1- pound uncooked pasta noodles of choice I love using this Regioni D'Italia Busiati Pasta that I find at Home Goods, of all places, but any pasta will do!
- 2 cups pitted green olives preferably Castelvetrano or Cerignola, divided
- 1/3 cup fresh chopped parsley plus more for garnish
- ¼ cup capers drained
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Salt to taste
- 4 tablespoons vegan butter
- 6 cloves fresh minced garlic
- 1 cup vegan parmesan cheese plus more for garnish
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Start by making the lemony breadcrumbs. Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the panko breadcrumbs and cook, stirring often, until golden and crispy, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the lemon zest, garlic powder, red pepper flakes and salt, and mix to combine. Set the breadcrumbs and the sauté pan aside.
- Meanwhile, cook pasta until al dented according to directions. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain and set aside.
- Place 1 cup of the olives in a food processor, along with 1/3 cup parsley, capers, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper and pulse until a thick, clumpy paste forms. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Roughly chop the reserved cup of olives.
- In the same pan you prepare the breadcrumbs in, heat the vegan butter over medium heat. Once melted, add the fresh minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the olive mixture and roughly chopped olives, parmesan, and ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water to the pan, stirring constantly. Continue to cook, stirring often, until the parmesan melts throughout. If the sauce seems too thick, feel free to add water ¼ cup at a time until you reach the desired consistency (I end up using about ½ cup).
- Off the heat, stir in the al dente pasta and fresh lemon juice, mixing until it’s fully coated in the sauce.
- Garnish with the lemony breadcrumbs, vegan parmesan and fresh minced parsley, and enjoy!!!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!