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Mediterranean Pasta

A quick and vibrant 20-minute pasta dish loaded with sun-dried tomatoes, Kalamata olives, broccolini, and feta cheese, all tossed in a light garlic olive oil sauce.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Italian, Mediterranean
Calories: 480
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta & Base
  • 12 oz penne pasta
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp oil from sun-dried tomato jar
  • 3 cloves garlic thinly sliced
Vegetables & Mix-ins
  • 1 small bunch broccolini chopped into 2-inch pieces
  • 0.5 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes roughly chopped
  • 0.5 cup Kalamata olives pitted
  • 0.5 tsp crushed red pepper flakes adjust to taste
  • 0.5 cup feta cheese crumbled
  • 0.25 cup fresh parsley or basil chopped
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1 squeeze fresh lemon juice optional

Equipment

  • Large pot for boiling pasta
  • Large deep skillet
  • Cutting Board
  • Chef's Knife
  • Tongs

Method
 

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the penne pasta until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta.
  2. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil and sun-dried tomato oil. Add the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes; sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  3. Add the chopped broccolini to the skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes until tender-crisp and bright green.
  4. Stir in the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and Kalamata olives, cooking for 1-2 minutes to heat through.
  5. Add the drained pasta to the skillet. Toss everything together, adding splashes of the reserved pasta water until a light, glossy sauce coats the noodles.
  6. Remove from heat. Gently stir in the crumbled feta cheese and fresh herbs. Season with black pepper, a pinch of salt if needed, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve immediately.

Notes

Feta and Kalamata olives are quite salty, so taste the dish before adding additional salt at the end.