One bite of this easy-to-make bright, flavorful pasta, full of tasty green olives, zesty capers, and fresh herbs will have you wishing you had come across this recipe sooner!
Besides being quick, easy and delicious, Easy Mediterranean Fettuccine is versatile and can either be served as a side dish or a filling vegetarian entrée. And, oh, did I mention it’s also covered in Parmesan cheese and toasted crispy Panko breadcrumbs.
I’m not sure, but I think there might be a rule that says all pasta must be topped with some type of cheese. We are talking serious comfort food here! But here’s the thing, while most comfort food is laden with calories this light dish is full of heart-healthy olive oil, olives, lemon, and fresh herbs.
I’ve always heard that sometimes after a long day cooking, professional chefs will come home and whip up a pasta dish for themselves. And, after one bite of this yummy pasta, I can see why. Not only does it literally take just minutes to prepare, Easy Mediterranean Fettuccine is the kind of meal you just want to curl up on the couch with to savor.
To make scrumptious Easy Mediterranean Fettuccine you will need: olive oil, Panko breadcrumbs, fresh dill, lemon juice and lemon zest, fresh parsley, capers, anchovy paste (don’t be afraid, trust me, it adds great depth of flavor to this dish.), garlic cloves, pitted green olives, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and fresh or dried fettuccine (you can substitute spaghetti or linguine noodles).
How to make Easy Mediterranean Fettuccine
Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a small skillet over medium heat. Add the Panko breadcrumbs and stir for 4-5 minutes or until they are golden brown. Add salt and pepper and let drain on a paper towel.
Add lemon zest and dill. Toss to combine.
Cook pasta according to the directions on the package to the al dente stage. Drain but reserve ½ cup pasta cooking water. Set aside.
Combine olive oil, anchovy paste, garlic, parsley, capers and olives in a large bowl.
Add pasta and ¼ cup of the reserved pasta cooking water and toss.
Add the Parmesan cheese, a tablespoon at a time and toss well after each addition. Add additional pasta water, just a teaspoon at a time, after each addition of the Parmesan cheese. You want the cheese to evenly coat the pasta and not clump up. Add the lemon juice and mix well.
Top with the breadcrumb mixture and a little more Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
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Easy Mediterranean Fettuccine Recipe
Ingredients
Topping Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 Tbsp fresh dill chopped
- 1 tsp grated lemon zest
Pasta Ingredients:
- 9 oz fresh refrigerated fettuccine or 12 oz dry can substitute spaghetti or linguine noodles
- 1/2 cup pasta cooking water
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 Tbsp anchovy paste
- 1 garlic clove grated
- 1 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1 cup green olives pitted and roughly chopped
- 3 Tbsp capers drained
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Instructions
Topping Directions:
- Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a small skillet over medium heat. Add the Panko breadcrumbs and stir for 4-5 minutes or until they are golden brown. Add salt and pepper and let drain on a paper towel.
- Add lemon zest and dill. Toss to combine.
Pasta Directions:
- Cook pasta according to the directions on the package to the al dente stage. Drain but reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water. Set aside.
- Combine olive oil, anchovy paste, garlic, parsley, capers and olives in a large bowl.
- Add pasta and 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water and toss.
- Add the Parmesan cheese, a tablespoon at a time and toss well after each addition. Add additional pasta water, just a teaspoon at a time, after each addition of the Parmesan cheese. You want the cheese to evenly coat the pasta and not clump up. Add the lemon juice and mix well.
- Top with the breadcrumb mixture and a little more Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
Breadcrubms, cheese, herbs, olives… Can’t wait to make this!
Sharon, this looks great! I will omit the paste because I’m a vegetarian. I really enjoy your site.
Betty Bartens Haskins
Hey Betty,
Great to hear from you and I hope you are doing well! So glad to see your name pop up! I think you will really like this pasta. It’s delicious and it’s not a problem to leave out the anchovy paste. Let me know how you like it!