Description
A vibrant and tangy Dirty Martini Pasta Salad featuring al dente malfa corta pasta tossed with Castelvetrano olives, blue cheese, pine nuts, lemon zest, and a flavorful garlic expression dressing, perfect for a refreshing side or light meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- ½ lb malfa corta pasta
Salad Mix
- ½ cup parsley, roughly chopped
- 1 heaping cup Castelvetrano olives, smashed
- ¼ cup of the brine from the olives
- ½ cup crumbled blue cheese
- 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
- 1 medium lemon, zested
- ½ lemon, juiced
- ⅓ cup garlic expressions (garlic-infused oil or garlic dressing)
- Pinch of flaky salt
- Fresh cracked pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the malfa corta pasta until al dente, approximately 13-15 minutes. Drain the pasta and rinse thoroughly with cool water until it is cool to the touch to stop the cooking process and prevent sticking.
- Combine Ingredients: Transfer the cooled pasta to a large mixing bowl. Add the roughly chopped parsley, smashed Castelvetrano olives, olive brine, crumbled blue cheese, toasted pine nuts, lemon zest, lemon juice, and garlic expressions to the bowl.
- Season the Salad: Sprinkle a pinch of flaky salt and add fresh cracked pepper to taste over the mixture. Gently toss all the ingredients together to evenly distribute the flavors and coat the pasta thoroughly.
- Serve and Enjoy: Serve the Dirty Martini Pasta Salad immediately or chill it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to meld the flavors. Enjoy as a refreshing side dish or light meal.
Notes
- Use Castelvetrano olives for their mild and buttery flavor that complements the salad perfectly.
- To toast pine nuts, heat them in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until golden and fragrant, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
- If garlic expressions refers to garlic-infused oil, you can substitute with a mix of minced garlic and olive oil if needed.
- Adjust lemon juice and zest according to taste for more brightness.
- Serve chilled or at room temperature for the best flavor experience.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
