Mediterranean Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes and Olives

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Cooked pasta

1. 1
   Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water (4¼ cups of water and a heaping teaspoon of salt for every 4 oz of pasta), following the package directions (taste about 2 minutes early), until al dente.

   ⚙ Cooking in salted waterStovePot

   💡The water should taste like a seasoned soup, not like sea water: a heaping teaspoon of salt per liter. Add the salt once the water is boiling.
2. 2
   Reserve cup of the cooking water before draining.

   ⚙ Saving the cooking waterLadleorMeasuring cup

   💡The cooking water is starchy: a spoonful or two binds the sauce to the pasta or the gnocchi and makes it glossy.
3. 3
   Drain.

   Colander

To assemble

1. 4
   Heat the olive oil in a wide pan and fry the garlic and chili about 1 minute, until the garlic is lightly golden.

   ⚙ Pan-fryingStoveFrying pan
2. 5
   Add the cherry tomatoes and oregano and cook 3–4 minutes, until they soften and release their juices.

   Stove
3. 6
   Add the olives and cook 3 more minutes.

   Stove
4. 7
   Add the drained pasta and the lemon juice with a little pasta water as needed, season with salt and black pepper and toss well.
5. 8
   Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat 2–3 minutes, stirring, until they are lightly golden.

   ⚙ Dry-Pan ToastingStoveFrying pan

   💡Toast over medium heat and keep things moving: nuts, pine nuts and spices go from toasted to burnt in seconds. Transfer to a plate right away, since the hot pan keeps toasting.
6. 9
   Serve immediately with the basil and toasted pine nuts.