Name: Summer Olive and Antipasti Pasta
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 pound Delallo Spaghetti No. 4; 3 teaspoons kosher salt (for pasta water); 1/2 cup Delallo Extra Virgin Olive Oil; 1 tin Delallo Anchovies (2oz tin in oil)**; 6 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced; 1 heaping teaspoon Delallo Calabrian Chili Peppers**; 7oz container of Delallo Pitted Olives Jubilee, sliced; 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, more for topping; 1-2 cups reserved pasta water; chopped parsley, for garnish

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As we roll into summer simplicity in meals is key. Dishes that are light, refreshing but packed with flavor. I'm thrilled to partner with my friends at Delallo to showcase this simple and delicious recipe that is a cross between a Pasta Puttanesca and Pasta Aglio e Olio using a variety of olives and antipasti from Delallo. A showcase of olives, chili peppers, garlic, parmesan cheese and an olive oil anchovy sauce!

Why You'll Love it!

Pantry Staples - This dish is easily made with simple pantry staples: pasta, garlic, olive oil, olives, parmesan cheese and a few specialty ingredients that pack a punch of flavor: Delallo Pitted Olives Jubilee, Calabrian chili peppers and anchovies.
Pescatarian Meal - This dish isn't fully vegetarian due to the anchovies but I have some simple swaps to help if you need it that way! You can always enhance the dish with some roasted chicken or fish.
Hot or Cold - Yup, serve this warm or enjoy straight from the fridge the next day as a pasta salad dish!

Please note that I only work with companies and products that I feel passionately about and that align with Cosette’s Kitchen views and that this post contains sponsored content for Delallo. While I am compensated for the work I do, my opinions are always 100% my own.

History of Delallo

Growing up in Pennsylvania I distinctly remember seeing the Delallo labels in the grocery stores and a brand that my family often bought. Delallo began in the 1950s in a town just outside of Pittsburgh, PA as a family run Italian market. Today, the George DeLlallo Company remains a family owned and operated business that focuses on the import, production and distribution of Italian and Mediterranean specialty foods. Delallo offers the largest selection olives and antipasti from all over the world. Delallo Food product can be found throughout the nation including the Pacific Northwest where I currently call home.

Ingredients for Summer Olive and Antipasti Pasta

We're going to start with a simple Spaghetti from Delallo. Their Spaghetti Pasta is the quintessential pasta cut, these famous “long strings” shine in simple dishes like this one. These spaghetti noodles cook perfectly to al dente at 8 minutes and are commonly used for dishes such as Aglio e Olio, Spaghetti al Pomodoro and Cacio e Pepe. Today we're going to create a cross between Aglio e Olio and Putanesca with the addition of flavor packed Pitted Olives Jubilee. Pitted Olives Jubilee is a bold medley of smoky Calamata, classic Niçoise-style, Picholine and plump green olives in a marinade of complementary spices and perfect for our pasta.

• Spaghetti - A simple pasta dish needs a traditional pasta shape, we'll be using No. 4 cut Spaghetti from Delallo
• Garlic - Thin slivers of fresh garlic will infuse the olive which will become the base for our sauce
• Delallo Private Reserve Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Olive oil will be the main ingredient of our sauce, we want a bright and fruity oil that will stand up to the bold flavors of olives, anchovies and parmesan.
• Delallo Calabrian Chili Peppers - Grown & harvested in Calabria, Italy, ingredient is packed in extra virgin olive oil with just the right amount of heat. These peppers are a staple in this southern Italian region’s cooking. These peppers will give our pasta a bit of heat without overpowering the flavor.
• Delallo Pitted Jubilee Olives - Delallo Pitted Olives Jubilee is a bold medley of smoky Calamata, classic Niçoise-style, Picholine and plump green olives in a marinade of complementary spices. These olives will give our dish a bite and saltiness that will help balance the garlic and chili peppers.
• Delallo Flat-Fillet Anchovies - Don't skip this piece! Anchovies are a HUGE flavor booster to dishes and our sauce will get it's umami and salty flavor from the anchovies. Infused with garlic and oil it's the perfect flavor boost.
• Parmesan Cheese - While many cheeses will do with this pasta dish - feta, goat, mozzarella, we're going to use a traditional parmesan cheese for it's sharp flavor.

How to Make Summer Olive and Antipasti Pasta

One of the most important components of making a pasta dish is cooking the pasta al dente. Al dente means to cook until firm - we want to allow the pasta some flexibility when we add to the sauce as it will continue to cook for a few minutes. For our Delallo spaghetti, al dente is 8 minutes in salted, boiling water. While our pasta cooks, we'll build our sauce and in the final stages, add our cooked pasta and add some pasta water to thicken.

The Sauce

This is a very simple but flavorful sauce that is layered with flavorful olive oil, fresh garlic, Calabrian Chili Peppers and anchovies. Each component adds a layer of depth to create a flavorful sauce to marry our pasta. Delallo Extra Virgin Olive Oil is heated in a large skillet or braiser with the addition of anchovies. The anchovies will give our sauce much flavor and a salty component. After cooking for about 5 minutes on medium-high heat, add in your sliced garlic. We want the garlic to infuse the oil to give a robust flavor and as the garlic cooks on low heat it becomes sweet and tender, a lovely addition to our pasta. Next we'll add in our Calabrian Chili Peppers - these peppers pack a bit of a spice to our dish. If you're looking for a spicier dish, double up on your Calabrian Chili Peppers. This version is subtle enough that my kids enjoyed it and did not think it was spicy at all.

After our oil has been infused with flavor, we're going to add in our cooked pasta - I like to take the pasta directly from the pot right into my skillet with oil placing them side by side. Add about a cup of hot pasta water along with your pasta. With a pair of tongs, toss your pasta, pasta water and infused oil together. If it appears a bit dry, add a bit more pasta water to the skillet. Next, fold in your Delallo Pitted Jubilee Olives and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Continue to mix your pasta incorporating all your ingredients. Serve warm with additional parmesan cheese.

How to Serve this Summer Olive and Antipasti Pasta

I love to enjoy this dish as is but you can certainly add in some extra ingredients if you'd like, some of my favorites include:

• Salmon - top this pasta with grilled or poached salmon
• Chicken - add in some shredded chicken or top with grilled chicken
• Brown butter breadcrumbs - for an extra crunch, top your pasta with some brown-buttered bread crumbs. In a small skillet heat 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Allow to melt and begin to bubble and brown. Once butter browns, add in 1 cup of panko breadcrumbs and allow to be coated with browned butter. Heat for another 3-4 minutes until browned and toasty. Top pasta with crumbs.
• Summer Veggies - As we approach summer, adding in some fresh tomatoes or asparagus to your pasta would be a welcome addition. Toss in with the pasta when coating with infused oil.
• Baguette - Whether you tear the baguette or make some garlic bread, it's a lovely accompaniment to your dish.

Tips for Perfect Pasta Dish

A few tips about making the perfect pasta dish and ways to make this dish successful for your needs.

• Salted Pasta Water - It is important to salt your pasta water, adding salt to your water flavors your pasta and when we are layering ingredients we want each component to be seasoned properly.
• Don't throw out your pasta water - Pasta water is CRUCIAL to this dish and most pasta dishes, the water the pasta boils in not only has flavor from salting (see above) but also is starchy and helps to thicken any sauce we are making. I always encourage folks to transfer their pasta to their cooking pot/skillet vs draining over the sink. Or you can also remove 1-2 cups of pasta water then drain.
• Salt - If you noticed, the only salt in this dish is the pasta water, that is because we are getting our salt flavoring from the use of anchovies, olives and cheese. These ingredients are high in salty flavor so no need to add any additional salt.
• Anchovies - Anchovies are PACKED with flavor but also make this dish not a vegetarian dish. If you are looking to substitute anchovies you can replace with: olive tapenade or miso paste. Both these items can be used as a substitute for anchovies/anchovy paste. Please check recipe notes for specific amounts.
• Garlic - Fresh garlic is important in this dish but it is also crucial to NOT burn the garlic! One of the worst smells and tastes is burnt garlic, so keep a watchful eye when your garlic is infusing your oil to ensure it just slightly browns and doesn't get to hot and burn.

I adore pasta! Pretty much in most forms but this dish is so simple and packed with flavor that is has become a regular rotation around here. It's easy enough for beginner cooks to prepare or expert cooks to show their knowledge of depth of flavor. Of course using quality ingredients like those from DeLallo is essential to make the most flavorful dish.

I hope you enjoy this Summer Olive and Antipasti Pasta as much my family does – and feel free to adjust and make your own! If you make Summer Olive and Antipasti Pasta, please let me know by leaving a rating and review below!

As always, I love seeing your creations. Please leave a review or share your dish with me on social media #cosetteskitchen which lets me know what is working for you! You can find me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter , Tiktok and Pinterest. For more delicious recipes to your inbox, sign up for my newsletter! Don’t forget to check out the upcoming cooking classes happening this month as well, would love to have you there.

xoxo,
Cosette

*This post was sponsored by DeLallo. All opinions are my own. I only support and promote brands that I believe in and use in my own kitchen.