This salty, spicy beef and olive pasta is the perfect midweek comfort meal. Castelvetrano olives add the perfect oomph to this simple but rich tomato sauce.
This briny beef and olive pasta is one you’ll want on regular rotation.
When my parents visited last week, I made a huge charcuterie board. I always include Castelvetrano olives because they love them, but I had a ton left over. I thought I would make a pasta salad with them, but it’s been unseasonably chilly here. I decided on a simple beef and tomato sauce for a comforting, salty pasta dinner that really hits the spot.
How to make this spicy beef and olive pasta recipe
What you need
- Ground beef: I use lean ground beef for this, but you could make it with ground chicken, pork, or turkey instead.
- Aromatics: The sauce starts with onion, carrots, celery, and garlic as the aromatic base.
- Olives: I use Castelvetrano olives, but you can use your favorite variety of black or green olives. Castelvetrano has an ideal blend of buttery but salty flavor that works perfectly for this recipe.
- Diced tomatoes: I used a can of diced tomatoes, but you could make this with crushed or whole peeled tomatoes.
- Pasta: I used cellentani pasta–also known as cavatappi–which is a corkscrew-shaped pasta. You could use almost any short pasta shape here. Try it with fusilli, rigatoni, or orecchiette.
- Parmigiano Reggiano: I used lots of parm to add a nice creaminess to the sauce. I recommend buying a block of fresh Parmigiano Reggiano and grating it by hand as opposed to buying pre-grated cheese.
- Fresh oregano: I add fresh oregano with the Parmigiano Reggiano because I like the peppery flavor it lends to the dish. Fresh parsley will add a slightly brighter, herbaceous finish, or you could finish with fresh basil.
How to make it
- Step 1: Brown the beef and then add the onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté them with the beef until they soften.
- Step 2: Add the minced garlic and the chopped green olives. From there, finish with crushed red pepper and the canned tomatoes, as well as a bit of water.
- Step 3: Cover the sauce and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta and reserve a bit of the pasta water.
- Step 4: After it simmers, finish the sauce with pasta cooking water, fresh oregano, and grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss to coat, adding more pasta water as needed.
You’re ready to serve it up! Transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl and serve it with more fresh oregano leaves and grated Parmigiano Reggiano on top!
Beef and Olive Pasta
This salty, spicy beef and olive pasta is the perfect midweek comfort meal. Castelvetrano olives add the perfect oomph to this simple but rich tomato sauce.
Print
Pin
Share on Facebook
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 yellow onion (peeled and small-diced)
- 1 rib celery (trimmed and finely diced)
- 2 carrots (peeled and small-diced)
- 6 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)
- 6 ounces Castelvetrano olives (pitted and roughly chopped)
- 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (plus more to taste)
- 1 cup water
- 16 ounces cellentani pasta (or use penne, ziti, or rigatoni)
- 4 ounces Parmigiano Reggiano (finely grated; plus more for serving)
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano (minced; a few leaves reserved for garnish)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Brown the beef:
- Heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a wide pot over medium heat. Add the beef and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes, breaking up with a spoon, until the beef is browned in spots and almost cooked through.
Cook the aromatics:
- Add the diced onion, celery, and carrots to the beef. Sauté for 10 minutes until the vegetables soften. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Add the minced garlic and Castelvetrano olives. Toss to coat and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes and crushed red pepper along with 1 cup water. Bring to a boil.
Simmer the sauce:
- Reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. Stir the sauce occasionally and add more liquid as needed if it reduces too quickly. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your preference.
Cook the pasta:
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta. Set aside.
Finish the sauce:
- Remove the cover from the sauce and return it to a low boil. Add the pasta cooking water, grated Parmigiano Reggiano, and the minced oregano. Stir until the cheese melts. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and add the cooked pasta. Toss to coat for 1 to 2 minutes. Taste and season. Turn off the heat.
To serve:
- Transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl. Finish with more grated Parmigiano Reggiano and fresh oregano leaves if desired. Enjoy!
Tried this recipe?Mention @triedandtruerecipes or tag #triedandtruerecipes so I can feature you in my feed!
Love the twist of olives here—seriously delicious-looking pasta!