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Pasta With Feta, Olives, and Raisins

5.0

(6)

Pasta With Feta Olives and Raisins
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Sean Dooley

When dinnertime looms and inspiration is scarce, this pantry pasta will be there for you. Raisins make an unlikely starring appearance; they swell and plump in the pasta cooking liquid and balance the briny intensity of the feta and chile-oil-sizzled olives. (Feel free to skip the anchovies if you want to make it vegetarian.) A handful of parsley to finish and you’ll soon see that you really don’t need to be stocked to be well fed.

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What you’ll need

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    25 minutes

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

12

oz. rigatoni, cavatappi, or other short pasta

Kosher salt

¾

cup golden raisins

⅓

cup extra-virgin olive oil

2

oil-packed anchovies (optional)

1

cup pitted Castelvetrano olives, coarsely chopped

2

tsp. Aleppo-style pepper or other mild red pepper flakes, plus more for serving

Zest of 1 lemon

3

garlic cloves, finely grated

4

oz. feta, crumbled

½

cup coarsely chopped parsley, plus leaves for serving

1

Tbsp. (or more) fresh lemon juice

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Cook 12 oz. rigatoni, cavatappi, or other short pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally and adding ¾ cup golden raisins after 5 minutes, until very al dente, about 3 minutes less than package directions. Drain, reserving 2 cups pasta cooking liquid; reserve pot.

    Step 2

    Heat ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil in a small saucepan over medium. Add 2 oil-packed anchovies (if using), 1 cup pitted Castelvetrano olives, coarsely chopped, and 2 tsp. Aleppo-style pepper or other mild red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up anchovies, until mixture is fragrant and oil turns slightly orange in color, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in zest of 1 lemon and 3 garlic cloves, finely grated; season with salt.

    Step 3

    Return pasta and raisins to reserved pot; add 4 oz. feta, crumbled, and 1 cup pasta cooking liquid. Cook over medium heat, tossing vigorously, until feta is starting to melt and coat pasta and pasta is al dente, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and add anchovy mixture, ½ cup coarsely chopped parsley, and 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice. Cook, tossing vigorously and adding more pasta cooking liquid if needed, until combined and pasta is coated, about 1 minute. Taste and add more lemon juice and/or season with more salt if needed.

    Step 4

    Divide pasta among shallow bowls; top with parsley leaves and more Aleppo-style pepper.

Explore Bon AppétitMainDinnerEasyQuickWeeknight Meals30 Minutes or LessNut-FreeVegetarianPastaRigatoniPasta & NoodlesCavatappiRaisinDried FruitFruitFetaCheeseCastelvetrano OliveOliveAleppo-Style Pepper
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Reviews (6)

Back to TopTriangle

  • Delicious meatless meal! I didn’t have raisins, but found dried cranberries and cherries and they worked fine. Added 1 cup chopped walnuts to the saucepan, added a nice crunch. Next time might reserve a little feta to add at the end for visual interest.

    • Darcy Hille

    • Philly

    • 7/3/2024

  • I was skeptical about how this dish would turn out, but I decided to give it a try because the reviews were so good. All I can say is wow! This was a fabulous dish with a unique flavor and tons of umami. @Sarah definitely include the anchovies!

    • Anonymous

    • Cortland, NY

    • 4/13/2024

  • The ingredients say the anchovies are optional so I didn't use them but I think I probably should have because, while good, this dish definitely could have benefited from a nice hit of umami. I was really looking forward to making this and the flavor combination of the feta, olives, and raisins was nice but it just felt like it was missing something.

    • Sarah

    • San Luis Obispo

    • 3/28/2024

  • I’m not fond of feta, how would goat cheese work instead?

    • Anonymous

    • Corvallis, Oregon

    • 2/25/2024

  • Great dish, super easy to make and really interesting combinations of flavors.

    • Jacob

    • Boston, MA

    • 2/24/2024

  • Raisins & olives might seem like unlikely friends, but I made this and it was absolutely delicious. Everything came together really easily and everyone who tried it was very impressed, myself included. I couldn't find golden raisins in the grocery store that day, so I used regular raisins and an olive medley from the Whole Foods salad bar and it turned out perfectly! I'll be making this again—thank you!

    • Anonymous

    • Bozeman, MT

    • 2/20/2024

  • Quick easy and delicious. Can be made as is or supplemented/substituted as needed with whatever is in the pantry. Flexible "clear the pantry" ideal.

    • Andrew E

    • Louisville, KY

    • 2/19/2024