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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.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Author: Abigail Bingham

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!