Pasta with Olives {VIDEO} – The clever meal
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This simple pasta with olives combines pantry staples, juicy olives, and fresh lemon zest to make a flavorful midweek family dinner. Easy, quick, and budget-friendly too.
Published in April 2021/updated in April 2026
This easy pasta recipe has been one of my staples for ages. Today, I would like to re-share it because it’s perfect for busy dinners, easy to customize with your favorite add-ins, and ready in about 15 minutes.
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What’s not to love?
The recipe is extremely simple; it requires basic ingredients you might already have in your cupboard and minimal prep time, but it packs plenty of flavor.
All you have to do is cook your pasta and gently fry juicy olives with garlic, chili flakes in olive oil until everything smells nice and fragrant. Then drain and add the pasta to the skillet along with fresh lemon zest, Parmesan cheese, and chopped fresh parsley.
Toss to combine, and dinner is ready!
This quick olive pasta tastes SO GOOD on its own, but it’s also a great base for your fav add-ins or leftovers to make a more substantial family meal.
Simple, quick, and delicious. How good is that?
Watch how to make it
List of the ingredients
- Pasta
- Kalamata or green olives
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Garlic
- Parsley
- Fresh lemon
- Chili flakes
- Parmesan cheese (optional)
- Salt
How to make pasta with olives
(Note: this is a quick description; the full recipe is at the bottom of the page)
- Cook your pasta until al dente.
- Grate the lemon zest and parmesan cheese, and chop the parsley. My Microplane and herb scissors make these tasks much easier!
- Gently fry the olives, garlic, and chili flakes in olive oil.
- Drain and add your spaghetti to the pan. I LOVE this one; it delivers non-stick perfection.
- Add the lemon and parsley mix and some pasta water, and toss until nicely combined. Enjoy!
Recipe notes
Ingredients
Pasta: Premium-quality spaghetti, linguine, bucatini, chunky rigatoni, or penne works very well for this recipe. We also love whole-grain pasta, which provides extra fiber and micronutrients.
Olives: Kalamata olives add plenty of savory flavor, but you can use other nice green olives instead; just make sure they’re pitted. To use up your olive leftovers, you might have a look at these delicious olive focaccia or chickpea salad.
Chili flakes: I love that spicy kick, but if spicy isn’t your thing, feel free to skip or reduce the amount.
Extra-virgin olive oil: I recommend using good-quality olive oil to enjoy its lovely, fruity flavor.
Lemon & parsley: Their freshness balances the tangy flavor of the olives. If you wish, you might skip the parsley, but don’t skip the lemon zest!
Parmesan cheese: It adds plenty of flavor, but you can skip it if you want to make vegan pasta; the pasta will still be delicious.
Salt: You need salt basically for the pasta cooking water, not for the olives, which already bring saltiness to the dish along with savory parmesan cheese and salty pasta water.
Add-ins are welcome!
This quick spaghetti with olives is versatile and goes well with extra vegetables or protein. You might add one of these delicious add-ons to the pan while you cook the olives:
- Grilled chicken, some anchovies, or canned tuna.
- Halved cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, or canned artichokes
- Kale, peppers, and zucchini are great options. Broccoli and cauliflower work very well, too, but you need to cook them separately, and they take longer.
Storage tips
This pasta with olives is best eaten right away, but leftovers keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days, and you can reheat them in a skillet with a touch of water or olive oil.
More easy pasta recipes?
I’ve got you covered! We love pasta, from quick recipes to vegan pasta recipes and everything in between:
If you make this quick pasta with olives or have a question, let me know by leaving a comment. I would love to hear from you! x
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Pasta with Olives.
This simple pasta with olives combines pantry staples, juicy olives, and fresh lemon zest to make a flavorful midweek family dinner. Easy, quick, and budget-friendly too.
Servings: 4
Calories: 371kcal
Olives
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ or ½ teaspoon chilli flakes (crushed red peppers), according to you taste
- ¾ cup Kalamata olive or green olives, pitted and cut into halves
- 1 lemon, zest
- 3 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 3 tablespoon parmesan cheese, grated (more for serving if desired) optional
- salt, to taste
Pasta
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Firstly, bring a pot of salty water to the boil and cook your pasta until al dente. Follow the instructions on the package.
-
When you drain the pasta, reserve at least ½ cup of pasta cooking water.
Olives
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While the pasta is cooking, prepare the olives. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
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Add garlic and chilli flakes, cook until fragrant (about 30-45 seconds), then add the olives and stir for about 3-4 minutes. Turn the heat off.
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In a small bowl, mix the grated parmesan cheese if you use it, chopped parsley and grated lemon zest.
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When the pasta is drained, add it to the pan along with the mix of parsley, lemon and parmesan cheese. Turn the heat on, add some of the pasta cooking water and toss for about 10 seconds, just until well combined and nicely coated. Add the cooking water gradually, you don’t want to water down the flavor.
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Serve hot with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of chilli flakes if you like. Plus grated parmesan cheese if you don’t keep it vegan. Enjoy!
Nutrition facts: Please note that the nutrition values are based on an online nutrition calculator. It’s an estimate only and it should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. The nutritional value is for one serving (the Parmesan cheese and the final drizzle of olive oil are not included).
Calories: 371kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 715mg | Potassium: 194mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 706IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 167mg | Iron: 1mg
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