Castelvetrano Olives Marinara Sauce

Bright, colorful Castelvetrano Olives Marinara Sauce brings together a few ingredients for a super flavorful, eye-catching pasta sauce.  A ubiquitous snack in Italy, sweet Castelvetrano olives, with their bright green, some say Kermit green, color, come from Castelvetrano, Sicily, and are made from the nocerella del belice olive variety. Their meaty yet buttery flesh and mild, nut-like flavor make these olives the star in our Castelvetrano Olives Marinara Sauce.  With just six ingredients, Castelvetrano Olives Marinara Sauce is easy and quick to prepare and serve over a long, strand-type pasta, like fettuccine, linguine, spaghetti or bucatini; perfect for a weeknight dinner with our Wilted Arugula Salad for a starter and accompanied by a medium-bodied, dry red wine.

Castelvetrano Olives Marinara Sauce

Prep Time: 15 minutes, Total Time: 35 minutes. Serves: 2

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Ingredients:

  • 3 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 Tb minced Garlic
  • 4 very ripe Roma Tomatoes
  • ½ tsp Crushed Red Pepper flakes
  • 1 cup sliced pitted Castelvetrano Olives*, cut into thin rings
  • 3 Tbs Tomato Paste
  • 3 oz Pasta per person, recommend fettuccine, linguine, spaghetti or bucatini
  • Combined Grated Parmesan and Pecorino Romano cheeses at the table

Preparation:

  1. Mince the garlic, dice the Roma tomatoes, and slice the pitted Castelvetrano olives into thin rings, setting each aside in separate bowls.
  2. Pour the extra virgin olive oil into a 2-quart saucepan over a medium heat. Add the minced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes to the saucepan, stir and sauté, uncovered, until the garlic is just turning a golden color.
  3. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.
  4. Add the Roma tomatoes to the saucepan, raise the heat to medium-high and sauté, uncovered, until the tomatoes have softened and a breaking down into a sauce.
  5. Add the pasta to the boiling water, stir and cook until al
  6. Add the sliced Castelvetrano olives and tomato paste to the saucepan, stir, lower the heat to medium and cook, covered, for ten minutes.
  7. Portion the well-drained cooked pasta into wide bowls and top each bowl with the Castelvetrano Olives Marinara Sauce.
  8. Serve immediately with combined grated parmesan and pecorino romano cheeses at the table.

Castelvetrano Olives Marinara Sauce

*Note:

  • Castelvetrano olives are available in supermarkets and online; they are usually sold, pitted, in glass jars to showcase their bright green color.