Pasta Pearls and Olive Salad

This quick and easy pasta salad features Kalamata olives with garlic, but can easily be adapted to work with many combinations of favorite ingredients. Israeli couscous or orzo can be substituted for the acini de pepe.

• Preparation Time: 10 mins
• Cooking Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 25 mins
• Calories: 229 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 0.25 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 0.5 pound acini di pepe pasta
• 0.5 cup pitted Kalamata olives, quartered

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a rolling boil; cook the acini di pepe in the boiling water until cooked through yet firm to the bite, about 9 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

Step 2

While the pasta cooks, melt the butter with the olive oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Once the foam subsides, cook and stir the garlic and red pepper flakes in the butter mixture until the garlic is golden brown, about 2 minutes; remove from heat and stir the olives in with the garlic mixture. Transfer to bowl with the pasta and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to serve.