Dirty Martini Pasta
This dirty martini pasta combines all the best flavors of the classic cocktail into a hearty bowl of pasta! Perfectly cooked spaghetti is paired with vodka, olives, lemon, and fresh herbs to make a delightfully bright, yet indulgent meal.
If you don’t like dirty martinis, this recipe just might change your mind. All the best flavors from this classic cocktail are incorporated into this simple pasta dish – punchy vodka, briney olives, a bit of lemon, and – if you’re like me – tangy blue cheese! Fresh parsley and good old salt and pepper are all you need for seasoning, letting the vibrant flavors of the main ingredients shine through. It’s light and bright in flavor, but still tastes like an indulgent pasta dish – plus it’s the perfect recipe for a dinner party at home, or scaled down for a night in alone!
Here are some more summer pasta recipes you’ll love: Small Batch White Vegetable Lasagna, Sweet Corn and White Wine Chickpea Pasta, and Bean and Chickpea Pasta Salad.
Ingredients & Equipment
You’ll need the following ingredients and equipment to make this dirty martini pasta:
- Spaghetti
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Lemons
- Butter
- Parsley
- Vodka
- Olive brine
- Blue cheese olives
- Black pepper
- Salt
- Gorgonzola cheese crumbles
Customize This Recipe!
There are a few different ways you can customize this recipe:
- Use your favorite olives. I’m partial to blue cheese olives because they’re extra savory, but you can really use any olives you like!
- Use a fun pasta. Spaghetti is a classic, but you can use any fun pasta shape for this recipe, from bucatini to angel hair to rigatoni – get creative!
Kitchen Tips:
- Utilize mise en place! Make sure you have all of your ingredients prepped and ready before you begin making this recipe – it will help save you time and keep you organized.
- If you’re using blue cheese olives, fold them gently into the pasta just before serving so they don’t lose their filling – or just sprinkle them on top!
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Dirty Martini Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lb spaghetti
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- juice of 1 lemon
- zest of 1 lemon
- 4 tbsp butter
- ¼ cup vodka
- ¼ cup olive brine
- ¼ cup pitted green olives
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- 2 tsp black pepper
- pinch of salt
- ⅛ cup blue cheese olives optional
- 3 tbsp gorgonzola cheese crumbles
Instructions
- Boil a large pot of water and cook pasta according to package instructions.
- While pasta is cooking, add olive oil to a large frying pan and heat on medium-low for a few minutes. Add in the garlic and stir lightly until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add in the lemon juice, lemon zest, and butter, stirring until the butter melts fully.
- Add in the vodka, olive brine, and green olives, stirring to combine. Add the pepper, parsley, and a pinch of salt to season the sauce, then let the mixture heat for 5-10 minutes until simmering and slightly reduced.
- Drain the cooked pasta and transfer it into the sauce, tossing to cover the noodles completely. If using blue cheese olives, gently toss them into the pasta now.
- Transfer pasta to a serving bowl or dish and top with gorgonzola crumbles before serving.
Notes
- Utilize mise en place! Make sure you have all of your ingredients prepped and ready before you begin making this recipe – it will help save you time and keep you organized.
- If you’re using blue cheese olives, fold them gently into the pasta just before serving so they don’t lose their filling – or just sprinkle them on top!
- Use your favorite olives. I’m partial to blue cheese olives because they’re extra savory, but you can really use any olives you like!
- Use a fun pasta. Spaghetti is a classic, but you can use any fun pasta shape for this recipe, from bucatini to angel hair to rigatoni – get creative!
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