Cherry Tomato and Olive Pasta with Lemon Zest
This pasta dish is the picture of one-pot elegance and grace, by which I mean it’s beautiful enough to serve at one of your dinner parties. The noodles benefit from the all-in-one pot technique—they’re more flavorful after being cooked with the other ingredients—and the lemon zest builds in brightness and depth. Lots of stirring is involved, especially toward the end, to keep the pasta from sticking to the bottom. On the plus side, you’re breathing in the steamy fragrance of the garlic, paprika, and cumin. Toss in lots of parsley to accent this mostly red beauty of a dish.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided, plus more if needed
- 8 medium garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 ¾ cups vegetable broth
- 8 ounces short pasta, like farfalle or orecchiette
- ½ cup shaved Parmesan or Romano cheese
- ¾ cup chopped pitted green olives
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus more if needed
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- Freshly ground black pepper
Serving suggestion
1 cup chopped parsley
Instructions
- 1Sauté the olive oil, onion, tomatoes, and ½ tsp of salt in a large soup pot over medium heat until fragrant, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, and paprika and sauté for 1 more minute.
- 2Stir in the broth, pasta, and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cover partially and cook until the broth is absorbed and the noodles just cooked, about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep the ingredients from sticking to the bottom. If the pasta dries out before it’s fully cooked, add a little more broth.
- 3Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the cheese, olives, red pepper flakes, and lemon zest. Taste, and season with salt and black pepper.
- 4Serve sprinkled with fresh green parsley.
Easy Ingredient Swaps
↔Feta cheese for the Parmesan or Romano cheese
↔Pitted Kalamata olives or regular black olives, for the green olives
↔1 tablespoon lemon juice for the zest
↔Fresh basil for the parsley
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