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Escape to your favorite Mediterranean destination with this easy Mediterranean Pasta. This vegetarian pasta is filled with artichokes, capers, olives, tomatoes and spinach and tossed in a light olive oil lemon sauce. The pasta is topped with fresh, creamy feta cheese and herbs.
This post has been sponsored by Deoleo USA, Inc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
MEDITERRANEAN PASTA
You guys are in for a treat today!
This Mediterranean Pasta is a favorite of mine and perfect for a big crowd or your family on those busy nights.
You know my love for all things Mediterranean food- like this Mediterranean Salmon, Mediterranean Hummus Toast or this Hummus Platter.
The more of those delicious Mediterranean ingredients the better.
I especially love the saltiness of the artichokes, capers and kalamata olives mixed with the sweet, earthy sauce that is created by the Carbonell Manzanilla Extra Virgin Olive Oil and fresh lemon juice.
It reminds me of this Greek Orzo Pasta Salad but using a different pasta and creating a warm meal instead of a salad.
Make sure you have some crusty bread on hand to soak up all of that delicious sauce.
If you have been hanging around my blog for a while now, you know my love for olive oil an how much I try to incorporate it to some of the dishes that I make as much as possible.
I use olive oil on a daily basis for everything from sautéing and frying to dressing and finishing dishes.
It is a staple in my kitchen and is the start of today’s Mediterranean Pasta.
I used Carbonell Manzanilla Extra Virgin Olive Oil to finish off this pasta.
This olive oil has a fruity and peppery taste to it, perfect for this pasta dish.
Carbonell Manzanilla Extra Virgin Olive Oil now has four varieties of olive oil for you to choose from depending on the type of dish you are making:
Morisca is mellow and fruity, Arbosana is sweet and nutty, Cordobesa is bold and fruity, and Manzanilla—which I used in today’s recipe—is fruity and peppery.
When I opened the bottle of Carbonell Manzanilla Extra Virgin Olive Oil and took a quick taste of it, I knew it was a high quality olive oil that would flavor my pasta nicely.
Ways to Modify this Mediterranean Pasta Recipe
- Pasta: To make this a healthier dish try using whole wheat pasta or even vegetable noodles like zucchini noodles for a low carb pasta dish. I love making veggie noodles like in these Sesame Noodles, Thai Coconut Noodle Soup or this Asian Cucumber Noodle Salad.
- Beans: When I make this dish, I will sometimes add beans. Try chickpeas or white beans for extra protein.
- Meat: Pasta dishes are a nice base for many types of meats. You can easily top this pasta with grilled chicken or steak, shrimp, salmon, or white fish.
- Vegetables: When you make this dish, feel free to use whatever vegetables you have on hand. I really like roasted red peppers, bell peppers, zucchini, onion, cauliflower, green beans, or broccoli.
- Cheese: I added feta cheese but you can do Parmesan cheese, blue cheese or goat cheese in its place.
- Greens: I used spinach in this recipe but I think most greens work great. I especially like arugula, swiss chard or mixed greens.
- Nuts: I love finishing off pasta dishes with nuts or seeds. Pine nuts are added to this dish but I think walnuts, almonds or sunflower seeds would also work nicely.
WHY I LOVE THIS EASY MEDITERRANEAN PASTA?
There are a few reasons that I come back to this pasta time and time again.
First of all, this pasta is so easy to make especially if you don’t have much time to prepare but still want to serve a mouthwatering dish.
I can get this on the table in under 20 minutes and it is easy if you prep your ingredients the day before.
Second, this recipe feeds a crowd.
If you are having a get together or a dinner party, this pasta dish would be perfect. I like to serve it alongside a big kale or fattoush salad and some simple garlic Parmesan green beans.
Oh, and don’t forget the crusty bread that compliments this pasta recipe very well!
Lastly, this pasta dish is filled with the classic mediterranean ingredients.
The salty yet sweet flavors from the capers, artichokes and olives with the light, lemony sauce is just perfect.
Other Pasta Recipes You Might Like:
Mediterranean Roasted Vegetable Pasta Bake
Pumpkin Pasta
Lemon Shrimp Orzo
Lemon Pasta
Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta
Mediterranean Pasta
Escape to your favorite Mediterranean destination with this easy Mediterranean Pasta. This vegetarian pasta is filled with artichokes, capers, olives, tomatoes and spinach and tossed in a light olive oil lemon sauce. The pasta is topped with fresh, creamy feta cheese and herbs. You will love how easily this dish comes together!
Ingredients
For the pasta dish
- 6 ounces linguine {or pasta of your choice}
- 2 Tablespoons Carbonell Manzanilla Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper {optional}
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 12 ounces marinated artichoke hearts, drained, quartered
- 5 green onions, green parts chopped
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted, cut in half
- 4 ounces of capers
- 2 cups spinach {or greens of your choice}
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, torn
- 1/3 of a cup of feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1/2 cup Carbonell Manzanilla Olive Oi
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Using a large pot bring water to a boil and add 1 Tablespoon of salt to it. Cook the pasta according to the package until al dente. Drain the water from the pasta.
- While the pasta cooks prep your vegetables and measure your ingredients out.
- In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, oregano and salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat and add 2 Tablespoons olive oil. Add the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt and crushed red pepper {optional}. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and continue to sauté until the tomatoes begin to pop open and break down a bit.
- Add the pasta back in along with the olive oil sauce, artichoke hearts, green onions, kalamata olives, capers, spinach, parsley and basil and cook on low until the spinach is wilted, stirring gently.
- Remove the pasta from heat and add the feta cheese and pine nuts along with any additional garnishes you want like more fresh herbs and crushed red pepper.
- Serve warm with crusty bread.
Notes
- Feel free to use whatever past you like and for a healthier version try whole wheat pasta.
- I like adding a can of beans to this dish sometimes. Try chickpeas or white beans.
- Meat is a nice addition to this pasta dish. I think that grilled chicken, steak or fish is nice.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 4 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
I’m trying this with zoodles sounds amazing, love the combination of veggies.`
That is a great idea! I am going to try that. Enjoy!
Only 6oz of pasta for 6-8 people?
This serves 4-6, sorry! Not sure why it said 6-8. If you want to serve 6-8 I would use a full package of pasta.
I wish there was a Giant Eagle Market District store near me, but I will definitely look for Carbonell Portfolio at my local market! I HAVE to make this pasta – it has all the flavors I love!
Thank you! You will love Carbonell olive oil if you can find it.
So this combines all my favorite foods in one delicious meal. I love it.
Thanks so much! I love all of it together too. It is the perfect mixture of salty from the olives, capers & artichokes and sweet with the lemon juice.