Sun Dried Tomato Tapenade Pasta
This easy vegan tapenade pasta is SO delicious. Between the savory sun dried tomato tapenade, crunchy roasted pepitas, bright grape tomatoes, and spicy red pepper flakes, it makes for the ultimate pasta comfort food. If you ever doubted olives, now is the time to discover what’s possible!
Take it from an olive skeptic — this recipe is amazing.
My love of tapenade came onto my radar when I had it at a close friend’s house months ago. I’m sure I’d eaten it before then — I at least could associate the word “tapenade” with “food,” but I did not know what I was made of.
What I did know, is that it is strikingly delicious, in a unique way compared to other dips or condiments. I was simultaneously surprised and excited to learn that the main ingredient is olives, a food I almost never consume. (And the tapenade I had at my friend’s house also contains cauliflower — best believe I took a strong mental note for future reference).
For over a month (as of February 2021), I have been working on the perfect tapenade and pesto recipe to call my own and begin manufacturing and selling at the farmer’s market. Below you will indeed find my top secret perfected tapenade that I will soon be rolling out to the masses! (Or more realistically to the 15 people who are interested in it initially, LOL).
The first two times I made this pasta, there was something missing, and I couldn’t figure out what. It was tasty, but missed the mark of total satisfaction. Most of the time, I can identify exactly what changes I need to make to perfect a recipe, so it can be maddening when I get stumped.
I did not like the idea of bringing a new ingredient into the mix (though I ultimately did bring in the optional coconut aminos), but fortunately, I found the answer in an ingredient already existing in the dish. Red pepper flakes!
When I cook from scratch without a recipe (almost every meal at this point) and can’t determine what the dish is missing, there are a few possibilities to consider. Salt and acid both act as single ingredients and a harmonizer of other existing ingredients, so some salt (but especially acid in the finished dish) can make all the difference. If that isn’t enough, I will determine if I want more savoriness, spiciness, or sweetness, and go from there.
In the case of this recipe, the red pepper flakes added both a spicy and savory touch, which I greatly appreciated. This ingredient is definitely essential to polish off the dish.
Enough anecdotal selling points — please enjoy this fantastic tapenade pasta! If you make this dish, I would greatly appreciate a rating and comment — your feedback matters to me and to my blog’s growth!
Sun Dried Tomato Tapenade Pasta
Equipment
- Food processor (I love the Ninja blender/food processor set for $50 from Amazon)
- Large saucepan or dutch oven
- Medium ramiken (optional)
- Small baking sheet
- Colander
- Pasta spoon or tongs for mixing
Ingredients
For the tapenade
- ½ cup kalamata olives
- ¼ cup green olives
- ¼ cup sun dried tomatoes
- ⅓ cup cilantro roughly chopped
- 1 Tbsp capers
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp oil from sun dried tomato jar (or sub with olive oil)
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
For the roasted pepitas
- ⅓ cup pepitas
- ½ tsp extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
For the pasta
- 8 oz spaghetti noodles
- ½ cup tapenade
- 1 cup lightly packed cilantro chopped
- 6 oz grape tomatoes (one heaping cup) sliced lengthwise
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes divided
- Juice of ¼ lemon
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos optional for added savory flavor
Instructions
- Place all tapenade ingredients in a food processor and blend until well combined.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Fill a large saucepan or dutch oven with water and bring to a boil. Salt generously, add spaghetti, and cook until al dente, about 9 minutes. (Be sure to reserve ¼ cup of pasta water to loosen the sauce later, if you find it necessary).
- While you are waiting on the water and oven, combine the ingredients for the roasted pepitas in a medium ramiken and mix to combine (you can also mix directly on the baking sheet with your hands, I just like the ramiken method for optimal ingredient distribution).
- Distribute pepitas on baking sheet (optional to line it with parchment paper), and bake for 5 minutes.
- Roughly chop the cilantro, and slice the grape tomatoes in half lengthwise. Once pasta is cooked, drain all but ¼ cup water and transfer pasta back to pot. Add ½ cup of tapenade, cilantro, roasted pepitas, grape tomatoes, juice of ¼ lemon, red pepper flakes, and coconut aminos, if using. Mix, and add pasta water to loosen the sauce if needed. ENJOY!