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Dirty Martini Pasta

Ingredients

  • Fine salt, as needed
  • 1 pound bucatini, mafalda, or linquine pasta
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 anchovies, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced or sliced
  • 1 cup pitted Castelvetrano or green olives, coarsely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup gin or vodka
  • 1/4 cup olive brine
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh flatleaf parsley, plus more for serving
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled into walnut-sized pieces, divided

Cooking Instructions

Step 1: Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.  Add the 1 pound of bucatini, mafalda, or linguine pasta and cook 1 minute less than al dente according to the package instructions, about 8 minutes.  Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, then drain.  Reserve the pasta pot; you’ll use it again.

Step 2: While the pasta cooks, heat 2 tablespoons unsalted butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until the butter is melted.  Add chopped anchovies, minced garlic, coarsely chopped pitted olives, and lemon zest.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and fragrant, about 3 minutes.

Step 3: Add fresh lemon juice, gin or vodka, and olive brine to the skillet.  Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.  Cook until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Step 4: Add the sauce, pasta, and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water to the pasta pot.  Simmer over low heat, tossing and stirring the pasta occasionally, until the pasta is al dente and well-coated, about 2 minutes.

Step 5: Add 1/3 cup parsley, a few generous grinds of black pepper, and half the blue cheese; toss to combine.  Adjust the consistency of the sauce with more pasta water, if desired.  Serve garnished with more parsley and the remaining blue cheese.

Enjoy this trending recipe from The Spruce Eats!