Linguini with caper and green olive sauce

This post is dedicated to those who love all things caper, green olives and a touch of anchovies!

Beautiful isn’t it?  I love all things with a little brininess.  That’s exactly why I had to recreate this dish.  It was one of those days that I was looking in my pantry and refrigerator for something to eat. As with each trip, I was looking for a little inspiration and perspective too.  Well, I love pasta (which I had plenty of) but what else could I find?  Capers…check. Anchovies….check. Garlic….of course. EVOO…do you have to ask?  Zesty olives from Whole Foods olive bar…check, check and check. I saw a recipe a while back that added loads of fresh herbs and toasted breadcrumbs, which I did not do for this recipe but the herbs were a must.  As luck would have it, I had flat leaf Italian parsley and fresh dill on deck. YES!!!!!

I filled my pot with cold water and a generous helping of Kosher salt and a little oil.  Contrary to popular belief, the addition of oil really doesn’t seem to stop pasta from sticking together.  The addition of oil is a habit, however it can be omitted.  Just add plenty of water for the pasta to swim in.  Make sure you give the pasta a stir once you add it and continue to stir occasionally while it’s cooking until ‘al dente’.  I always, ALWAYS use cold water.  I know it would seem logical to add warm or even hot water; however, sometimes the water has sat for a little in the hot water tank and it may not taste as fresh.  Trust me on this one, use cold water. Add the pasta to the boiling water.

Gather your herbs and give them a rough chop.  As for garlic, I do not like bottled, minced garlic.  It has lots of preservatives and other flavorings added which is very off-putting in taste, to me, and that alone can and will alter the taste of your dish.  If you have a food processor or mini chopper, grab some fresh peeled garlic from your local grocery store and pulse away!  If you use a lot of garlic like I do, it’s worth it to chop the entire bottle and store in your refrigerator for at least 1 week.  It’s worth it! 

Grab a few anchovies with some of the oil along with the garlic. Using the side of a chef’s knife, mash into a paste.  Chop 1/2 of the green olives and capers.  Add the chopped herbs, anchovy-garlic paste and olive-caper mixture to a bowl and add olive oil to coat.  Season well with salt and pepper.  Adjust amount of oil and seasonings, if needed.

Once the pasta has cooked, drain, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking liquid.  Once the pasta has been drained, add to the bowl with sauce and add 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter.  If you have a lemon on hand, zest it and add it to the pasta and top with freshly grated parmesan cheese!!!