I've got a fantastic pasta recipe to share with you today. It's simple to make and packed with flavor. Also, it's highly customizable. In addition to shiitake mushrooms, Kalamata olives, and artichokes you can throw in some Parmesan, sun-dried tomatoes, toasted pine nuts and mini mozzarella balls. Or you can add some other ingredients you love that will pair well with this. Pesto pasta with olives, mushrooms and artichokes is a flavor bomb and you're going to love it.
The Pesto: Store Bought or Make Your Own - Your Choice
I love basil. Anyone else? Pesto is one of those ingredients where if you have the time, going homemade is incredibly satisfying. I love fresh summer basil, so I find myself preparing it homemade throughout that season. In the winter, not so much. But rest assured if you are looking to make the pesto at home, I've got you covered with this delicious pesto recipe. If not, store bought works too and is also pretty awesome. I went with store bought for this recipe because I simply didn't have time to make it.
This Pesto Pasta is Highly Customizable: Add All Your Favorites!
Whether your pesto is homemade or store bought, the pesto is one of the stars of this dish for sure. Add in some chopped Kalamata olives, shiitake mushrooms and artichokes and you'll be gobbling this up for days. I love this dish because it is so customizable. I give you ingredient amounts in the recipe card below, but it's really up to you and your taste preferences.
If you want more pesto - add it! I prefer a lighter coating of pesto, but that's me. Crazy about mushrooms - double up on it if it makes you happy. The core ingredients are the pesto, olives, shiitake mushrooms and artichokes. To enhance those flavors I added garlic and onions, of course. I came late to the olive game, so I'm still in the honeymoon phase when it comes to eating them. And Kalamata olives can simply do no wrong in my eyes right now.
Since I am a food blogger, I usually have a wide assortment of ingredients lying around. You can add a lot of different tasties to this dish.
Ideas for Add-ons to Customize Your Pesto Pasta:
- Toasted pine nuts. Heat in a pan on low heat for about 5 minutes and stir a few times until golden brown. Let cool before consuming.
- Sun dried tomatoes. Straight from the jar with a little of that awesome oil it sits in. This one is my favorite.
- Shaker Parmesan cheese to toss with the pasta.
- Fresh grated Parmesan cheese to top the pasta before serving (you know I love doing this with my pasta).
- Mini mozzarella balls, cuz they're so cute and delicious.
- Sautéed eggplant.
Craving More Carbolicious Pasta Dishes? I Understand Completely!
- Chicken & Broccoli Penne Pasta w/Garlic White Wine Sauce
- Chicken Bacon Pasta (emphasis on BACON!)
- The Ultimate Spaghetti Lasagna
- Pan Seared Sea Scallops w/Basil Brown Butter, Asparagus & Farfalle
- Dan Dan Noodles (dandanmian)
- Swiss Chard Pasta w/Lemony Breadcrumbs & Bacon Bits
- Mie Goreng: Indonesian Fried Noodles w/Rotisserie Chicken
Pasta is an excellent option for those of us who have busy lives and need to take a few shortcuts. And the options for pasta seem endless, right? Pick your favorite flavors and toss with a bunch of linguine, spaghetti, or ziti. I will say that the combination of the pesto and the kalamata olives, for me, is a match match made in culinary heaven. This dish is a flavor bomb and it also reheats very well if you want to take this for lunches a couple of days.
I do tend to cook with leftovers in mind because I often think: if I'm already making this dinner, I might as well make just a little more. Then I have lunches ready-to-go and don't have to buy expensive take-out.
I hope you give this one a try and enjoy it as much as I do. I know life gets crazy, but it is important to cook and eat delicious food if you can. It gives us the chance to sit around a table and touch base with our loved ones. To break bread and talk and listen. It's a simple pleasure that can bring a lot of happiness.
Print
Pesto Pasta with Olives, Shiitake Mushrooms & Artichokes
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 portions 1x
Description
Anyone else love a good flavor bomb? If so, you’ve got to try this pesto pasta with olives, mushrooms and artichokes. Highly customizable with lots of add-on options.
Ingredients
- 1 pound of linguine (see note #1)
- 2 heaping tablespoons of garlic, finely diced
- ½ cup onion, finely diced
- 1 6.5-ounce jar of artichoke hearts
- 1 cup of Kalamata olives (7-ounce container)
- 1 5-ounce package sliced shiitake mushrooms
- ¾ cup of pesto
- ½ cup shaker parmesan cheese, optional
- Olive oil (amounts are below in instructions)
- salt and pepper as needed
Optional add-ons:
- Toasted pine nuts
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Mini mozzarella balls
- Fresh grated parmesan, garnish
- Sautéed eggplant
- chopped parsley, garnish
NOTE: for the artichoke hearts, olives, mushrooms and pesto you can add more or less if you want depending on your taste preference.
Instructions
- Fill a pot with water and heat on high until boiling. Salt the water with a couple of teaspoons of salt.
- Finely dice the garlic.
- Finely dice the onion.
- With the mushrooms, make sure to wash them thoroughly, then blot dry with a paper towel.
- Drain the liquid from the olive container and rough chop the olives.
- Drain the liquid from the artichoke jar and rough chop the artichokes.
- Measure out the pesto and set aside.
- If you are using the optional toasted pine nuts, heat them in a small pan on low heat for about 5 minutes until they start turning golden brown.
- Once the prep is done, your water should be boiling. Add the linguine to the water and cook per box instructions.
- In a large pan on medium heat, add a little olive oil (a teaspoon or so spread over bottom of pan). Let the pan get hot, then add the mushrooms. Spread them out to lay flat and don’t overlap them. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper (maybe ⅛ of teaspoon each). Cook for about 2-3 minutes like this.
- After 2-3 minutes, stir the mushrooms around pan and push to one side.
- Add onions to pan with a splash of olive oil. Stir onions and cook for a minute or two on their own. Then mix to combine with the mushrooms and cook about another 2 minutes.
- Add the garlic to the center of the pan with a splash of olive oil and cook for 30-60 seconds on its own. Then mix the garlic to combine with the mushrooms and onions for another 1-2 minutes.
- Add the artichokes and olives to the pan with the mushroom mixture and stir another 1-2 minutes and it’s done.
- The pasta should be ready. I strained the pasta and while it’s still in the colander, add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and toss the linguine. I do this to coat the pasta and to make sure it doesn’t stick together.
- Add the linguine to a large mixing bowl. Transfer the mushroom mixture to that bowl along with the pesto. If you want more pesto than what I used – add more based on your preference.
- Using kitchen tongs and a wooden spoon toss the pasta thoroughly to combine all the ingredients.
- Add the shaker parmesan cheese and toss again.
- If you feel the pasta needs more moisture, add ½ cup of warm water and/or a 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. I ended up adding ½ cup of warm water and it worked great. It should be noted, that with some pasta dishes adding the pasta water is recommended. I felt with the salt from the olives and pesto and other items that had been salted – salted pasta water would have been too much salt.
- Once the pasta has been tossed and ingredients fully combined – you’re ready to serve. This pasta tastes amazing as-is. Add-ons are great too. Serve any add-ons, from above list, on the side and everyone can customize their plates. My video shows this well.
Notes
- Linguine or spaghetti works great for this. You could also use penne or rigatoni. Since this is a tossed pasta, an angel hair or vermicelli will not work well because it is too delicate.
Whitney
Can this be frozen?
Stacey
Hi Whitney - thanks for stopping by. I have never frozen this myself, but I don't see why not. The only thing I can think of is maybe the mushrooms might get a little soggy-ish. Let me know if you try this!