Description
A vibrant and tangy Dirty Martini Pasta Salad featuring malfa corta pasta tossed with castelvetrano olives, blue cheese, toasted pine nuts, fresh parsley, lemon zest, and garlic expressions, delivering a refreshing and flavorful dish perfect for lunch or a light dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- ½ lb malfa corta pasta
Salad Mix
- ½ cup parsley roughly chopped
- 1 heaping cup castelvetrano olives smashed
- ¼ cup 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
- Pinch of flaky salt
- Fresh cracked pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Prepare the malfa corta pasta al dente according to package instructions, usually about 12-15 minutes. Drain the pasta and rinse it under cool running water until it is cool to the touch to stop the cooking process.
- Combine ingredients: Transfer the cooled pasta to a large bowl. Add the roughly chopped parsley, smashed castelvetrano olives, olive brine, crumbled blue cheese, toasted pine nuts, lemon zest, lemon juice, and garlic expressions.
- Season and mix: Add a pinch of flaky salt and several cranks of fresh cracked pepper to the bowl. Stir gently but thoroughly to combine all ingredients evenly.
- Serve: Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, then serve immediately or chill briefly before enjoying.
Notes
- Garlic expressions add a bright, pungent flavor; if unavailable, substitute with 1 finely minced garlic clove.
- Castelvetrano olives can be replaced with Kalamata or green olives for a different twist.
- For a creamier salad, consider adding a drizzle of good quality olive oil.
- To toast pine nuts, gently heat them in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden and fragrant, about 3-5 minutes.
- This salad is best served fresh but can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 day.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 480 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
