Dirty Martini Pasta

Simple, delicious and comes together quickly. Find pitted Castelvetrano olives in the Deli grab ‘n go, or with pits (and brine) in the Olive Bar.

Want to make it a Dirty Dog (as in Hair of the…)? Dress it up with breadcrumbs and ultra-crispy fried egg with a runny yolk. Now if you only had big enough martini glasses to serve this in… 

Ingredients

  • 1 lb spaghetti or linguine 
  • 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 
  • 1 cup torn pitted Castelvetrano or green olives, plus 1/3 cup olive brine 
  • 4-5 cloves garlic, sliced 
  • Zest of 2 lemons 
  • 1/3 cup gin or vodka 
  • 2/3 cup finely grated Parmesan, plus more for serving 
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley 
  • 3 Tbsp unsalted butter 
  • Salt and pepper to taste 
  • Optional: ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs plus 2 Tbsp butter, or ¾ cup salad bar croutons, crushed 
  • 4 fried eggs, for serving 

Directions

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining. 
  2. If using breadcrumbs, heat a large skillet and add 2 Tbsp butter. Once melted, add panko and toss to coat. Add a little salt and pepper and let brown slightly. Remove from heat to stop cooking, set aside. Clean skillet. 
  3. In skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add olives, garlic and lemon zest. Cook, stirring frequently, about 3 – 4 minutes until fragrant. 
  4. Add gin or vodka and cook, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes, until reduced by about half. 
  5. Add olive brine, pasta and ½ cup reserved pasta water. Cook, tossing constantly and adding more pasta water as needed, until pasta is coated and sauce is emulsified, about 2 minutes. 
  6. Stir in Parmesan, parsley and butter until butter is melted. Toss in ½ cup panko (if using). Top each serving with remaining panko, fried egg and more Parmesan before serving.