Black Olive Pesto Pasta

Black Olive Pesto Pasta

This one is a proper weeknight hero for us. Black olive pesto is one of those things that sounds a bit fancy but absolutely delivers every time, and when you toss it through pasta with a heap of golden, herby breadcrumbs on top it becomes something really special. The pesto is salty, rich and deeply savoury in a way that regular basil pesto just isn't, and those crispy breadcrumbs add a crunch that makes every forkful genuinely exciting. We keep coming back to this one because it feels indulgent without being heavy. If you've got 20 minutes tonight, make this.

Cook: 20 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Food processor
  • Frying pan
  • Small bowl

Ingredients

  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 400g spaghetti
  • 1 piece of white bread
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 ½ tbsp tomato purée
  • 1 ½ tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 220g pitted black olives - we used Kalamata
  • 50g almonds
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • ½ small bunch of fresh basil
  • ½ small bunch of parsley

Method

1

Cook the pasta

  • Bring the pan of salted water to the boil
  • Add the pasta and cook for 1 minute less than stated on the packet instructions
2

Meanwhile, make the breadcrumbs

  • Blitz the bread to coarse breadcrumbs in a food processor
  • Tip the crumbs into the frying pan along with the dried oregano
  • Add the olive oil and stir until the crumbs are coated
  • Put the pan over a medium heat and toast until the breadcrumbs are golden and crisp
  • Tip into a small bowl and set aside, keeping the frying pan handy
3

Make the pesto

  • Reserve a few herbs for garnish and put the rest into the food processor
  • Blitz together with all the other pesto ingredients until well combined but not completely smooth
4

Combine

  • Once the pasta is cooked, put the frying pan over a medium-high heat
  • Add the pesto to the hot pan with a ladleful of the pasta water
  • Use tongs to transfer the pasta directly from the saucepan into the frying pan and toss until the pasta is coated with the pesto sauce
  • Taste and season with salt and pepper
5

Time to Serve

  • Swirl the pasta into bowls
  • Top with a drizzle of olive oil and the oregano breadcrumbs
  • Scatter with the reserved herbs

Tips & Variations

  • Save your pasta water: Before you drain the pasta, scoop out a mugful of the starchy cooking water. Adding a splash when you toss everything together helps the pesto cling to every strand beautifully.
  • Make it your own: We love this as it is, but if you want to bulk it out a bit, a handful of sun-dried tomatoes or some wilted spinach stirred through at the end works really well.
  • Breadcrumb shortcut: If you don't have bread to blitz, a handful of panko breadcrumbs from the cupboard works just as well. Toast them the same way and you'll get that same golden crunch.

Why This Works

The trick is cooking the pasta one minute less than the packet says and finishing it in the sauce, so it soaks up all that flavour rather than just getting coated in it. And don't skip the breadcrumbs. We know it's an extra step but toasting them with oregano and olive oil turns the whole thing from a good pasta into a great one. That contrast of creamy, punchy pesto and crunchy, golden crumbs is what makes this recipe sing.