Mediterranean Pasta Recipe – The Pasta Mission

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 substances. It’s excellent for a straightforward household dinner or for these following the Mediterranean weight-reduction plan.

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 substances are principally the identical olive oil, tomatoes, olives, capers, garlic, and peperoncino. These are typical Mediterranean weight-reduction plan substances.

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 through the time of the Arab occupation (827-902AD). And, contemporary pasta is alleged to this point again to Roman instances and even earlier.

So, it’s not shocking that pasta performs an enormous 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 will discover pasta and pasta dishes in different Med international locations similar to 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 weight-reduction plan (Italians eat on common 23-26 kilos a 12 months per particular person!). Regardless of what some folks suppose, it’s a wholesome balanced meals, that can be excellent to make use of with so many different wholesome substances like on this Mediterranean pasta recipe.

Ingredient Notes

• Pasta: I used penne for this recipe, however you would additionally use different brief pasta like fusilli. A protracted skinny ribbon pasta like tagliolini would additionally work nicely.
• Anchovy Fillets: Anchovy fillets add a wealthy and savory taste to the sauce. Nonetheless, they’re solely typically current and could be ignored for a vegetarian/vegan model.
• Tomato: You should utilize 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. When you’ve got a unique kind of olive that you simply love, be at liberty to make use of them as an alternative.
• Salted Capers: Salted capers add a singular kick of taste to the sauce. Simply ensure 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 provide our sauce a extra sturdy taste.
• Further Virgin Olive Oil: The olive oil provides depth and richness to the sauce. For one of the best taste, use good-quality additional virgin olive oil.
• Parsley: A handful of contemporary parsley provides coloration and freshness to the pasta sauce. In the event you don’t have parsley available, you can even use contemporary basil, which is frequent in a Mediterranean sauce.

Skilled Ideas

These knowledgeable ideas will assist your pasta go from nice to wonderful!

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

Infusing the Anchovy Taste: When cooking the anchovies, allow them to take their time melting into the olive oil. You is perhaps tempted to rush this step, however persistence pays off right here. This sluggish 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 few of the pasta water. If wanted, this starchy water could be added to the simmering sauce to assist obtain the right consistency. It’s additionally a bit of trick that makes your pasta look additional shiny.

Cook dinner’s tip: Italian cooks don’t add salt to chilly water as a result of it cannot solely wreck the pot, but in addition the water will take a bit of 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 may steadily soften into the olive oil.

Be aware: In the event you’re utilizing peperoncino flakes, add them now and prepare dinner them for just a few 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 sometimes.

4) In the meantime, deliver a big pot of water to a boil. Add salt as soon as it begins to boil, then deliver it again to the boil earlier than including your pasta. Cook 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 prepare 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) Cook 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 may range.

8) Portion the pasta into bowls and serve.

Storage and Leftovers

This Mediterranean Pasta is finest loved contemporary, however in case you have leftovers, retailer them in an hermetic container within the fridge. They may hold nicely 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 stop the pasta from drying out and prepare dinner over medium warmth with a lid on, mixing commonly till sizzling all through.

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

Then lastly, my favourite method 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 prime and bake at 350F (180c) till sizzling all through.

FAQs

Extra Mediterranean Recipes You Could Like:

In the event you do do this recipe, I’d love to listen to what you suppose. Please write a remark right here on the weblog or put up 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 images 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 substances. It is excellent for a straightforward household dinner or for these following the Mediterranean weight-reduction plan.

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook dinner Time 30 minutes minutes

Complete Time 40 minutes minutes

Course Principal Course

Delicacies Italian

Servings 4

Energy 564 kcal

Substances 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 14 oz penne
• 4 tbsp additional 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 forms of olives too
• 0.7 oz salted capers rinsed from salt
• 1 handful contemporary parsley chopped
• salt
• black pepper
• 1 tsp peperoncino flakes non-obligatory
• parmigiano reggiano grated (non-obligatory)

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 may steadily soften into the olive oil.

• Be aware: In the event you’re utilizing peperoncino flakes, add them now and prepare dinner them for just a few 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 sometimes.

• In the meantime, deliver a big pot of water to a boil. Add salt as soon as it begins to boil, then deliver it again to the boil earlier than including your pasta. Cook 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 prepare 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.

• Cook 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 would additionally use different brief pasta like fusilli. A protracted skinny ribbon pasta like tagliolini would additionally work nicely.
• Leftovers could 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 Food regimen Pasta, Mediterranean Pasta

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If you’re inquisitive about studying the way to make different selfmade pasta and several types of gnocchi, take a look at my store web page for some nice video on-line programs from my pals in Rome! Nothing beats studying to make pasta from Italians! Plus when you’re there why not order a duplicate of one in every of my pasta recipe cookbooks or checkout some really useful pasta making instruments?