How To Make the Best Mediterranean Pasta
Mouthwatering Mediterranean pasta with a sauce made with kalamata olives, roasted red peppers, prosciutto, basil, a splash of wine, finished with a crumble of feta cheese over a bed of linguini. Simply divine! Simple enough for weeknight meal or impressive dish to serve to dinner guests.
Equipment
- large sauté pan - or large sauté pan with 2" sides
- garlic press - alternatively you can simply mince, but using a garlic press is much easier
- chefs knife - or other sharp knife to chop ingredients well
- kitchen scale - not essential, but very handy - you will use it often when cooking
Ingredients
For Making the Mediterranean Sauce:
- 2 Tbsp. shallot (diced small)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced or pressed through a garlic press)
- 3 Tbsp Avocado oil (Avocado oil can tolerate high heat, and it's healthy too!)
- 4 slices. prosciutto (cut into small pieces)
- 3 oz. Kalamata olives (sliced in half, leaving some whole)
- 6 oz. roasted red peppers (sliced into medium length strips)
- ¼ cup white wine (chardonnay is best)
- ¼ cup reserved pasta water
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth (*make sure it is low-sodium)
- ½ tsp. dried basil
- ½ tsp. ground pepper
- ½ cup feta cheese (crumbled - make sure to use block cheese and crumble it yourself - tastes so much better!)
- 1 lb. linguini (or pasta of your choice)
To Make the Beurre Manie:
- 1 Tbsp. flour
- 1 Tbsp. butter or butter substitute
Instructions
Preparing The Pasta:
- Fill a large pot with water, add salt & cover with lid. Bring to a boil over high heat.
- When water is boiling, add 1 lb. linguini and cook per directions on package until al dente. You will use between ¾ and 1 lb. depending on how much juice you prefer.
To Make Beurre Manie: (make this prior to starting the sauce)
- Combine 1 Tbsp. flour with 1 Tbsp. butter or butter substitute, smushing the flour and butter together with your fingers. If you let the butter soften for 10 minutes or so it will be easier to blend the butter and flour together. Reserve a large pea size ball (for thickening sauce slightly). Store remainder in refrigerator for another recipe like my Best Chicken Marsala.
Make The Mediterranean Sauce While Pasta is Boiling:
- In a large skillet, add 3 Tbsp Avocado oil and 2 Tbsp. shallot, chopped. Sauté on medium-low until shallot is softened, about 2 minutes.
- When shallot is softened, add the 4 slices. prosciutto (cut up) to pan and continue sauteing until just beginning to get crispy.
- Lower heat to Low and add 3 cloves garlic, minced, and sauté just until fragrant (30 seconds). Make sure not to burn the garlic - it will become bitter!
- Deglaze pan with ¼ cup white wine, using a wooden spoon to scrape up all the bits. Simmer for one minute.
- Add 3 oz. Kalamata olives, 6 oz. roasted red peppers, ½ tsp. ground pepper and ½ tsp. dried basil. Let simmer for a few minutes.
- Add 2 cups low sodium chicken broth to pan and stir to combine.
- Add ¼ cup reserved pasta water to pan, stir.
- Add a large pea sized ball of the beurre Manie to the center and let simmer until liquid has been reduced by ¼, stirring occasionally.
- *** Taste sauce and make adjustments if necessary - add salt, or if too salty, add 2 tsp. sugar, if not spicey enough to your liking, add more pepper or red pepper flakes. Stir to combine and retaste.
- Remove from heat, cover and keep warm.
Putting It All Together:
- When linguini is finished cooking, drain almost all water from pan. Return to cooktop and use tongs to transfer pasta directly into pan with sauce. Stir with tongs to combine and blend all the flavors together.
- Transfer to large pasta bowl and sprinkle the top with some crumbled feta cheese, Put the remainder of the ½ cup cheese in a small bowl to serve as extra for topping individual plates.
- Serve immediately and ENJOY!
Notes
- Gather your ingredients ahead of time and clear your workspace. As in any recipe, making sure you have all your ingredients before starting your recipe is very important. This may seem silly to mention, however, I'm sure we've all been in the situation where you don't have an essential ingredient that you need.
- Salt your pasta water!
- Use a medium sized bowl for scraps. This prevents having to frequently go throw out items and saves time. Simply just toss scraps into the bowl and empty all garbage when you are done prepping. I always do this and it saves a ton of time.
- When sauteing the garlic, don't allow it to burn. Turn burner to low and sauté just until fragrant. It will become bitter and unappetizing if allowed to burn. Try mixing a little olive oil with the garlic before adding it to the pan so it doesn't stick (and burn).
- Use Kalamata olives. Don't substitute. The tanginess from these olives really makes or breaks the recipe if substituted with green or even plain black olives. The taste will not be the same.
- Use block feta not pre-crumbled feta. The taste is much fresher and more authentic when you buy and use feta that comes solid. Plus, it's pretty easy to cut it yourself and costs less than buying pre-crumbled!
YOUR OWN NOTES
Nutrition
Calories: 594kcalCarbohydrates: 64gProtein: 17gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 1038mgPotassium: 369mgFiber: 4gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 312IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 150mgIron: 2mg
Disclosure
The provided nutritional information should only be used as a general guideline rather than an exact representation of the nutritional content of the prepared dish. Individual nutritional needs and dietary preferences may vary, and we encourage our readers to use their discretion and consult with a qualified healthcare professional or nutritionist for personalized dietary advice.
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