Description
A tangy, briny pasta salad inspired by the Dirty Martini cocktail, featuring olives, capers, and a zesty lemon dressing.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 ounces short pasta (penne, rigatoni, or fusilli)
- 4–6 quarts salted water
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons olive brine
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Black pepper to taste
- 3/4 cup chopped mixed olives
- 2 tablespoons rinsed capers
- 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
- 1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan (optional)
- Chopped parsley for garnish
- Lemon zest for garnish
Instructions
- Boil the salted water in a large pot.
- Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 8–10 minutes.
- While pasta cooks, whisk together olive oil, olive brine, lemon juice, garlic, Dijon mustard, and black pepper in a bowl.
- Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water.
- Toss hot pasta with the dressing, olives, capers, red onion, tomatoes, and Parmesan (if using).
- If the pasta seems dry, loosen with reserved cooking water.
- Finish with chopped parsley and lemon zest before serving.
Notes
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3–4 days. The flavors improve over time.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 550mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 10g
- Cholesterol: 10mg