When you sauté green olives and garlic in butter, the results are magical. The olives warm and soften, and the garlic infuses the fat with its rich fragrance, creating an easy, flavorful pasta sauce that rivals any restaurant dish. A splash of lemon juice adds acidity for balance, and each portion is finished with freshly ground pepper and generous shavings of Parmesan.
Ingredients
1 pound dried bucatini or other long pasta (such as spaghetti or linguine)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups Castelvetrano olives or another mild green olive, such as Cerignola, pitted and coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 1 medium lemon
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt
Shaved Parmesan or Pecorino cheese, for serving
Method* Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook 1 minute less than al dente, 8 minutes or according to package instructions.
* Meanwhile, heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
* Add the olives and garlic and cook until softened and fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
* Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta. Return the skillet to medium heat and add the pasta and the reserved pasta water.
* Simmer, tossing and stirring the pasta, until the pasta is al dente and the sauce thickens and coats the pasta, 1 to 2 minutes.
* Add the parsley and a few generous grinds of black pepper and toss to combine.
* Taste and season with more pepper and salt as needed (since the olives are already salty, you might not need to add any salt).
* Divide among shallow bowls, top with shaved Parmesan or Pecorino cheese if desired, and serve.