Penne with Herbs, Tomatoes, Olives and Pecorino
July 21, 2014
Aunt Suzy update May 2020 . . .
I was looking on Pinterest yesterday, desperate for some fresh ideas for dinner! I thought this looked good and when I clicked, I saw it was on OUR BLOG!! Margaux says this is a family favorite and I see why! We added non-marinated artichoke hearts and we think that should be part of the recipe, so I’ve added it to the ingredients as an option. Delicious!
Margaux says…
This pasta salad caught my eye on “Food and Wine” because of the olives and tomatoes…I really love that combo of flavors in a pasta salad. But what made this excellent is the mixed herb pesto that you toss it with, and the shaved pecorino that you toss in after it’s completely cooled, so that it doesn’t melt. This dish has a ton of flavor and will be in regular rotation on our “pasta Wednesdays” in the summer!
Penne with Herbs, Tomatoes, Olives and Pecorino
adapted from Food and Wine
1 pound penne or other small pasta shapes
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup basil leaves
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 garlic cloves, halved
2 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh marjoram or oregano
Salt
1 1/2 pounds cherry tomatoes—halved
1 can artichoke hearts, cut in quarters or eighths (optional)
1/2-1 cup Calamata olives (to taste), pitted and coarsely chopped
1 cup coarsely grated Tuscan Pecorino Romano cheese (3 ounces)
Freshly ground pepper
Cook the penne or other pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and toss with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large serving bowl. Let sit to get to room temperature.
Meanwhile, in a blender, puree the basil, parsley, garlic, thyme, marjoram and garlic with 1/3 cup of olive oil. (You can also use a stick blender to puree the herbs in a bowl.) Add more olive oil if you think it’s necessary…the original recipe called for 1/2 cup, but I felt that was a little much. Scrape into the bowl with the pasta and season with salt, then toss together.
Then toss in the tomatoes, optional artichoke hearts and olives and let stand at room temperature for at least 10 minutes to develop flavor. Just before serving, add the Pecorino, season with salt and pepper and toss well.
Aunt Suzy’s cooks notes: We used a different type of small pasta and it worked well. The artichoke hearts added a nice tang to the dish. We also used oil cured olives with thyme – I can see a number of different olives working well in this dish. Both Margaux and I agree that Parmigiano Reggiano works as well as Pecorino Romano, although I like the funky salty goodness of the sheep’s milk cheese.
Asparagus-Artichoke Pasta Salad
July 15, 2011
Aunt Suzy says . . .
This recipe is a riff on Aunt Cindy’s Artichoke, Edamame and Asparagus salad. She had raved about that salad to me the week before I was having friends over for a cookout. It occurred to me that this would be a great basis for a pasta salad, and I just went crazy from there making adaptations. Like the A.E.A. salad this is based on, it was such a hit that it’s been made for more than one recent event. Thanks to niece Sarah for suggesting the cherry tomatoes. We served this with grilled chicken and Spring Farmer’s Mkt Potato Salad, which made for a great summer meal.
The Dressing
3 tablespoons EV Olive Oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, minced
Juice of 1-2 cloves of garlic, using a garlic press
Salt and pepper to taste
Whisk all ingredients together in the bottom of a large salad bowl. Set aside at room temperature.
The Salad
1 can or jar of artichoke hearts, drained (I like the ones with stems from Trader Joe’s)
1 pound asparagus, tough ends removed
1 lemon, thinly sliced crosswise
1/2-2/3 pound small dried pasta shapes
2 pints cherry tomatoes (I used the multi-colored ones from Trader Joe’s), cut in half
1/2-3/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
1/2-3/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
Pre-heat the oven to 425° and place the top rack one down from the top of the oven. Pat the artichokes and asparagus dry. Line a cookie sheet or broiler pan bottom with foil and cover lightly in EV olive oil. Place the asparagus, artichokes and thinly sliced lemon on the foil and turn to coat all items with a little olive oil. Place the pan in the pre-heated oven and roast for 7-10 minutes until done. The asparagus does not need to be turned, but you will want to turn the artichokes and lemon slices a couple of times. I found that the artichoke hearts and lemon could go longer, so I removed the asparagus after 7 minutes and placed the pan back in the oven for about 5 minutes more.
Cut the cooked asparagus into 2-inch lengths and the artichoke hearts into small pieces. Cut the roasted lemon into small dice. Add these ingredients to the dressing in the salad bowl.
In the meantime, cook the pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain and let cool. NOTE: I did not like the shells and used spirals the next time I made this – much preferred! Add the cooled pasta to the bowl and toss to thoroughly blend and coat everything with the dressing. Add the cherry tomatoes to the salad and stir to blend. Lastly, add the mint and basil, stir to blend. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Let sit at room temperature to blend the flavors for at least 30 minutes.
Sweet & Savory Kitchens 