Name: Olive Pasta
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: ½ lb. spaghetti pasta ((cooked to package directions)); 6 oz. can sliced black olives ((drained)); 1 medium lemon ((juice only)); ½ tsp. garlic powder ((granules)); salt to taste

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This olive pasta is so crazy simple to make and totally hits the spot!

We all have those days where we go crazy trying to get it all done. Days where there is no way on earth we are going to tick off every item on our to-do list. Days where you just want to throw in the towel and make your way to the drive-thru. I’ve been there.

A side view of this Clean Eating Olive Pasta in a white bowl with half a lemon nestled in the side of the bowl.

Mini Chef and I are preparing to move once again (long story), and I have more on my plate (pardon the pun) than I know what to do with at the moment. So I need simple dinners that I can get on the table fast. Mini Chef and I both love olives, so this dish was sort of a no-brainer. I used what I had on hand that was quick and easy, and we totally enjoyed our meal!

The Recipe

This simple dish is super easy to make with easy-to-find ingredients. The flavors are fresh and simple, but they come together wonderfully to provide you with a delicious and very satisfying meal. This pasta dish can be served warm or cold and is great served cool on a hot summer day. But it’s truly wonderful any time of year.

What To Serve With Olive Pasta

A green salad
Chicken
Pork
All by itself!

An overhead view of this Clean Eating Olive Pasta shows the lemon, lots of black olives throughout the pasta, and a tiny bit of lemon zest sprinkled over the top for garnish.

Once your pasta is cooked, it will take you literally about five minutes to put this together. (Or however long it takes you to squeeze a lemon and open a can of sliced olives.) It’s super simple, super-fast, and offers a tangy, salty flavor that only olives can provide.

The Olives

You can certainly use any type of olives you prefer. But air on the side of caution because if you use an olive that is super tangy already, then the lemon juice will be overkill. Black olives offer a nice balance without overdoing it on the puckery tang.

The Pasta

You can really use any type of pasta you prefer here. I used gluten-free, brown rice spaghetti from Trader Joe’s. You can use regular, whole grain pasta too. However, if you use gluten-free pasta, be sure to stir frequently during cooking, and rinse the pasta when it’s done cooking. Those are the two main differences between cooking wheat-based pasta and gluten-free pasta. The stirring and the rinsing. With wheat-based pasta, you don’t have to stir or rinse. It’s actually better that way. But with gluten-free, you do.