Mediterranean Pasta
This Mediterranean Pasta is the breezy social butterfly of the dinner recipe crowd. So effortless! So chic! A light, easygoing mix of angel hair pasta, fresh lemon, and classic Mediterranean ingredients like tomato, Parmesan, and artichoke, this simple but splendid healthy pasta recipe can carry itself at any meal. Whether it’s a hectic family weeknight meal or romantic date night in, this Mediterranean Pasta belongs.
I prize recipes that combine pantry staples and fresh ingredients to create fast, healthy meals. It means that I only need to buy one or two things to make dinner, it’s often less expensive, AND because pantry items are typically quick and convenient, it means I can get dinner on the table sooner too.
This Mediterranean Pasta is a perfect example.
Mediterranean Pasta—Fast Meets Fresh
On Team Fast, we have the pasta, canned artichokes, and olives. Each of these items takes minutes to prepare (Steam and section whole fresh artichokes on a weeknight? No. Open a can of artichoke hearts and add them to a quick pasta? Yes!), adds depth of flavor (olives, thanks for the salty-umami factor), and will only add a few dollars to your grocery bill.
On Team Fresh, we have sweet, juicy cherry tomatoes, chopped garlic, fresh lemon juice, and grated Parmesan. It’s a classic Mediterranean combo that brings the pasta to life.
This easy, one-pan vegetarian pasta recipe comes from my friend Mary’s new cookbook The Weekday Lunches and Breakfasts Cookbook, a followup to her first, equally wonderful book The Weeknight Dinner Cookbook.
The book is brilliantly divided into sections for quick recipes and make-ahead recipes, meaning that you can turn to it both when you have time to plan in advance and when you walk through the door and in an utter moment of panic find yourself asking: What on earth are we going to eat???
Like this Mediterranean Pasta, the recipes in Weekday Lunches and Breakfasts are a testament to the fact that a recipe doesn’t need to be long, time-consuming, or complicated to be delicious. Many of the lunch recipes work well for dinner too.
Mediterranean Pasta Recipe Variations
Thanks to the hearty artichokes, I found this Mediterranean Pasta plenty satisfying when left vegetarian. If you prefer to add meat, you can make this Mediterranean Pasta with chicken or Mediterranean Pasta with shrimp. For shrimp, I’d suggest sautéing or grilling the shrimp separately, then tossing it with the pasta at the end.
For those seeking shredded chicken pasta recipes, try combining this Mediterranean Pasta with my quick and easy method for How to Cook Shredded Chicken. You can shred or dice the chicken and toss it in with the pasta at the end.
To make the Mediterranean Pasta vegan, you can simply omit the Parmesan.
For a different spin, instead of Parm, make the Mediterranean Pasta with feta. We served our leftovers this way, and that was delicious too.
What to Serve with Mediterranean Pasta
- A simple green salad is perfect for this pasta. For something a bit heartier, try this Caesar Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad.
- This dish is also great with roasted vegetables, especially these Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts.
Mediterranean Pasta
Mediterranean Pasta with tomatoes, artichoke, garlic, and lemon. A fast, healthy pasta recipe that’s easy to make and filled with bright flavor! Keep the recipe vegetarian or serve with chicken or shrimp. A nutritious all-in-one meal.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt — plus 1 teaspoon, divided
- 6 ounces whole wheat angel hair pasta — whole wheat spaghetti, or similar whole wheat noodles (I recommend DeLallo whole wheat pasta)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 cups grape tomatoes — or cherry tomatoes
- 1 can quartered artichoke hearts — (14 ounces)
- 1 can whole pitted black olives — (6 ounces)
- 3 tablespoons good-quality olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice — about 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley — chopped
Instructions
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Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt. Cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water, then drain.
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While the water boils and pasta cooks, prep your vegetables and remaining ingredients: mince the garlic; halve the cherry tomatoes; drain and roughly chop the artichokes; drain and slice the olives in half. Once the vegetables start cooking, the recipe goes quickly, so you want to be ready.
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Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the tomatoes, garlic, the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is fragrant and the tomatoes begin to break down and release some juices into the oil, 1 to 2 minutes.
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Add the pasta to the skillet and toss to coat. Add the artichokes and olives. Drizzle the lemon juice over the pasta. Continue tossing and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until warmed through. If the pasta seems too dry, add a splash of the reserved pasta water to loosen it. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as desired. Remove from heat and sprinkle with Parmesan and parsley. Toss once more and enjoy.
Recipe Notes
- Tips from Mary, the recipe's author: Don't skimp on the olive oil or parsley. Both are key to giving the final dish great flavor.
- To reheat: Warm gently in the microwave or on the stove with a splash of water to keep the pasta from drying out.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 4 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
Nutrition Information
Amount per serving (1 (of 6)) — Calories: 267, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 4mg, Carbohydrates: 27g, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 4g, Protein: 18gDid you try this recipe? I want to see! Follow Well Plated on Instagram, snap a photo, and tag it #wellplated. I love to know what you are making!
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About Erin Clarke
I’m fearlessly dedicated to making healthy food taste incredible. Wearer of plaid, travel enthusiast, and firmly convinced that sweets and veggies both deserve a place at the table. MORE ABOUT ERIN…
Thank you for this! I’ll try this pasta tomorrow!
I hope you enjoy, Danielle!
My kids won’t eat olives or artichokes. Do you recommend any substitutes? Thanks!!
Hi Laura, maybe roasted red peppers? It would also be pretty easy with this recipe to remove a serving or two from the dish before adding the olives and artichokes, as those are stirred in at the very end just to warm through. Enjoy!
So many awesome flavours going on in that pasta! (:
WOW—such a pretty pasta dish!!
Thanks Gaby!!
All your foods look so good! But I am having trouble figuring out how much to eat of each throughout the day. Do you have any examples of what you eat in a day to illustrate that kind of stuff for us that have trouble with this kind of stuff? I know how much everyone needs to eat in a day varies from person to person, but an example to use as a baseline might help?
Hi Nikki, I definitely recommend talking to a dietitian, because everyone’s needs are different. I eat a good variety, including lots of whole foods, fruits, lean protein, and plenty of veggies. My blog represents the types of food that I eat, and I’m also very active and exercise several times a week. This is just what I personally do on a daily basis, but since I don’t have a medical background, I’d highly recommend talking to someone who does!
Erin, I made this tonight with shrimp, Greek olives and a feta for my cheese (along with your recipe of artichokes, cherry tomatoes, etc.). I am now a chef to my family all thanks to you!
Alan, I’m so glad to hear the recipe was a hit! Thanks so much for giving it a try and taking the time to leave this wonderful review!
HI! Would this be good as a cold pasta salad??? Maybe with garlic added? Thanks….TOM
Hi Tom! Yes, I think that would work well too! I ate some cold out of the fridge, and while I preferred it warm, cold works too if that is your preference. I’d maybe use a different noodle that’s more traditional for cold pasta salads. Bowtie or penne would be great!
Excellent recipe! I used Kalamati olives, added cooked sliced spicy sausage and asparagus- Thanks!
I am so happy you loved it Judy! Thanks for trying the recipe and reporting back!!
I am so happy that you liked the recipe and I’m thrilled that you are enjoying the cookbook! Your photos are stunning too and now I’m craving pasta!!
Mary, I am always craving pasta after making this! Thanks for letting me share the recipe and congrats on your beautiful book!
Do you need to drain the olives and artichokes?
Hi Anny, yes, you’ll find the instructions to drain them in step 2!
Made this for dinner, super meal. Added shrimp and asparagus as per other comments. Will be in my rotation.
I am so so glad to hear it! Thank you for taking time to leave this lovely review too!
What a wonderful dish. Not only was it beautiful, but the flavors were magical together. My husband and I loved it. This is one of those dishes that I could eat every week. I may try spinach with it next time. It is perfect as is, but we really love spinach and I think the flavor would be a delicious addition. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. It is now a favorite.
Barbara, I am so SO happy to hear it! And the spinach addition sounds wonderful.
I never leave reviews but I read them all the time. I made this recipe tonight and it was fabulous. Easy and delicious I added spinach to the cherry tomatoes, artichokes, kalamata olives and feta cheese.
I will definitely make this again. Thank you for sharing
Linda, I am overjoyed to hear this, thank you!
An update to my previous post:
This recipe may actually be better the next day as a cold pasta salad!!!! The flavors actually melded together nicely overnight. I was a little skeptical at first (with only 6 oz of pasta called for in the recipe) but it made plenty for the next days lunch! Fabulous!!!
Tonight I am trying Mediterranean Bean and Broccoli Pasta — I can’t wait.
Thanks again for the wonderful recipes
SO happy to hear that this is a hit Linda, thank you for sharing!!
I just made this recipe and I have loved it, easy but very tasteful. THANK YOU
Chantal, I’m happy to hear you loved it! Thank YOU for taking the time to leave this wonderful review!
Made this for the family tonight. Added Mediterranean spinach and feta chicken sausage. It was awesome! Thumbs up from everyone. It is tasty as vegetarian dish also. I plan to try it with shrimp too! Five star recipe easy and quick! Thinking about getting the recipe book from which this came. Busy family needs healthy, delicious, but not too time consuming recipes.
Deborah, thank you for taking the time to review the recipe! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
I love this stuff!!!!we use the feta cheese and baby shrimp!!!!mmmmmmmmm
Sounds delish, Kristin! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Stumbled upon this recipe doing a recipe search for something new to make for dinner and so glad I did! I did a couple things slightly different….
I’m not a huge tomato or artichoke fan so I cut up my tomatoes a little smaller than it called for and I found a different recipe suggesting you drizzle marinated artichoke hearts w olive oil, sprinkled with a little oregano and thyme and then baked at 450 for about 18min- stirring/turning them a couple times till nicely browned and a little crispy…(which turned slimy unpleasant things into actually tasty food :) oh and I added spinach with the garlic and tomatoes… and ended up adding a little extra noodles so there’d be more leftovers so next time I’ll up the other ingredients accordingly..
Anyway, was a hit with the whole family. Hubby used the last of the feta in the fridge added to his, if I had more I probably woulda used it instead of the Parm but it was great with the Parm! :)
Thanks so much!! :)
Thanks for sharing your tweaks, Sara! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the pasta!
This is a fabulous dish. I topped it with chicken and it is now a family favorite!
Lora, thank you so much for taking the time to share you review! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Delicious! We added a half pound of shrimp with the tomatoes and garlic and used half green, half black olives (per son’s request) and it was great. Thanks for a quick, easy, healthy recipe!
Jeanne, thanks for taking the time to leave this review! I’m glad it was a winner.
Would be more easy in cooking if you can post a video of the recipe. Thanks
Kamini, adding videos to recipes is definitely a big priority, but it’s so time consuming (1 video takes all day plus hours of editing), that I can’t add it for every single one. I’ve noted this one for a future video though!
I had to leave out the olives because my husband and kids despise them and it was still delicious!
Jennifer, thank you!
This sounds great and I can’t wait to try it! Just one thing to mention is that real Parmesan is not vegetarian. The feta idea sounds delicious though.
Hi GS! There are brands that sell vegetarian parmesan, so you can use that here if that’s a concern for you. I hope you enjoy the recipe!