RECIPE: Herby Olive Bucatini Pasta for Two

This pasta recipe was inspired by a perfect bowl of warm castelvetrano olives I was served in a bar years ago on a trip to Louisville. Slightly spicy, drenched in herbs and olive oil, and stuffed with cheese– these olives were meant for a larger stage: A pasta plate. This simple weeknight dinner comes together with careful consideration of the amount of water the pasta is cooked in, ensuring there’s enough starch to create a glossy, garlicky sauce at the end. It calls for parsley and dill, but feel free to swap in and out any tender green herbs you like. 

Serves 2 

Ingredients

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons for breadcrumbs

½ cup panko breadcrumbs

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

¼ teaspoon calabrian chile paste (or substitute red pepper flakes)

8 ounces of bucatini (or other long pasta)

½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus salt for seasoning pasta water

⅓ cup finely chopped dill

⅓ cup finely chopped parsley

3 ounces castelvetrano olives, pitted and torn or cut

½ round (about 2 ounces)  of Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs cheese

Instructions

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until barely shimmering. Add breadcrumbs and season lightly with salt and pepper. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until lightly browned and toasted. Remove from heat and wipe out with a paper towel. Set breadcrumbs aside (breadcrumbs can be done up to a day in advance, keep in a sealed container until ready for use) Return to heat, add remaining olive oil and garlic in the skillet over medium low heat until garlic is pale golden and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in calabrian chile paste and olives. Stir and set aside. 

Meanwhile, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add pasta and 2 teaspoons kosher salt and cook, stirring often, until strands are flexible but still firm in the center, about 6 minutes. Reserve 1 ½ cups of pasta water, then drain pasta. 

Add pasta, pinch of salt and ¾ cups cooking liquid to skillet with garlic and olive mixture and bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Cook, stirring and tossing often with tongs, until water is mostly absorbed but still leaves a small pool in the bottom of the skillet, about 5 minutes. 

Let pasta sit off heat for 2 minutes. Stir in herbs. Crumble Boursin cheese over the top of the pasta and toss. Top with breadcrumbs and serve!