Pasta With Olive Tapenade

1 batch of this olive tapenade

16 oz pasta (whichever type you prefer, may use gluten-free pasta if needed)

2 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil (may sub for 2 tbsp olive oil + 2 cloves minced garlic)

2 tbsp Meyer lemon juice (If you can't find Meyer lemons and use traditional, start with 1 tbsp juice and adjust as desired)

2 oz (about 1 cup) Parmigiano Reggiano, grated

25 g (about ⅓ cup) finely chopped parsley

½ tsp red pepper flakes

Cook your pasta according to package instructions until it reaches al dente (firm to the bite) tenderness. Carefully remove about a cup of pasta water (I like to use a mug to do this) and drain the rest. Reserve pasta to the side.
If you're using gluten-free rice pasta: Rice pasta has a tendency to stick together when cooking because it's really starchy, so give it a quick stir every couple of minutes and give the pasta a good rinse after draining to remove the excess starchiness.
In a large saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat, add the garlic-infused olive oil. Once glistening, add the olive tapenade and stir, cooking for about 1-minute to allow it to get a bit of direct heat.
Lower the heat to medium and add the lemon juice, stirring to combine.
Then add the reserved pasta and gently toss to combine. Add incremental amounts of the reserved pasta water as needed to help ensure that the tapenade is dispersed evenly throughout the pasta.
Sprinkle the pasta with red pepper flakes and gently toss again. Remove from heat.
Add the parmesan and parsley and gently toss to combine. This dish is lovely served immediately while it's warm or chilled and served cold.

Course🍽️Main Course

Diets🥕Vegetarian🌾Gluten-free...

Category🍝Pasta

Cuisine🇮🇹Italian

Occasions🍽️Casual Dining📆Everyday

Season🔁Year-round

DifficultyEasy ⏰ 20m