Fresh Tomato Basil Pasta With Lemon and Olives

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Fresh tomato basil pasta is a beautiful blend of sweet summer-ripe fresh tomatoes, lemon-basil zing, salty olives, capers and Parmesan.

This is an easy, vibrant recipe that is ready in under 30 minutes. Perfect for tomato season.

Serving bowl of tomato and basil pasta topped with parmesan cheese.

My sister Kathy had the family over for dinner on the weekend. She served us this pasta dish in the backyard and the entire family raved.

The recipe is adapted from Food & Drink, an Ontario LCBO magazine.

Ingredients – tailored to your taste

Pasta, basil, lemon zest, olives, tomatoes, garlic, parmesan, olive oil, anchovy paste (or capers), lemon juice.

Tomatoes: You can use any type of fresh tomatoes. Heirloom or Roma tomatoes are great choices. I love multicolor tomatoes for this recipe. Ripe cherry tomatoes and grape tomatoes will also work.

Basil: Fresh basil leaves work best for this recipe. The most common type of basil found in stores and farmer’s markets is the classic Italian Genovese. Here’s an article on different types of basil if you want to experiment with flavors.

Pasta: Try different pastas. I use small penne pasta, rigatoni or even thin spaghetti like vermicelli. You can also use whole wheat pasta or gluten-free pasta.

Olives: I like black Kalamata olives with the simple Mediterranean flavors in this pasta dish, but any olives will work. I mix them with green olives sometimes.

Marinade: The fresh tomatoes are marinated in olive oil, lemon, capers (or anchovy paste), garlic, and red pepper flakes.

Oil: I use a good quality extra virgin olive oil for the recipe. Choosing oils can be overwhelming with all the confusing labels and ‘fakes’ on the market. Our article on best oils for cooking offers quick ‘need to know’ information and recommendations.

Variations and substitutes

  • You can substitute the capers with anchovy paste (used in the original recipe).
  • Use either shaved or grated parmesan cheese. For a vegan version, use vegan parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast.
  • For the marinade, try other seasonings such as black pepper, thyme, oregano, or, for a kick of heat, a pinch of cayenne pepper.
  • Add ins:
    • Blanched asparagus cut into small pieces
    • Toasted almond slivers or pine nuts
    • Cooked sausage, smoked chicken, shrimp or fish for a more substantial non vegetarian meal.

Step-by-step instructions

Tomatoes, basil and lemon zest in a bowl.
Chop the juicy tomatoes and add to a medium bowl with olives, basil, lemon zest, and cheese. Boil pasta and drain, reserving some pasta liquid. Return pasta to pot.
Tomatoes, basil and lemon with dressing mixture in a bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk olive oil, lemon juice, capers, garlic, chili flakes, and salt. Pour marinade over the tomato-olive mixture and set aside.
Serving bowl of tomato and basil pasta topped with parmesan cheese.
Add tomato mixture to the warm pasta in the pot. Give it a drizzle of olive oil and add to a large shallow bowl. Serve and enjoy.

Tips

Do not rinse the pasta: Some pasta salad recipes will have you rinse to pasta to stop the cooking process. But for this recipe, rinsing removes the starch that helps sauce cling to the pasta.

Use quality, fresh ingredients: When making a recipe that only uses a handful of ingredients, you want to make sure you’re using fresh, good-quality ingredients. Fresh basil, good olive oil and ripe juicy tomatoes are key to this dish.

Shortcuts

Instead of cutting fresh tomatoes and preparing the tomato-olive mixture from scratch, you could use pre-made bruschetta or a store-bought tomato-olive tapenade mixture from the grocery store.

To save time on preparing the marinade, try a good quality Italian dressing or vinaigrette.

Make ahead

To make this pasta ahead, prepare the tomato-olive mixture and marinade a couple of hours ahead, then just before serving, make the pasta and tossed it all together.

You can also make the dish a day in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. When you’re ready to serve it, reheat it in the microwave or in a large skillet over medium heat on the stove.

What to serve with this tomato basil pasta recipe

I typically serve this easy pasta recipe as a weeknight meal with some warm crusty bread.

It would also be a great side dish for cold sliced chicken, Mediterranean-Style Marinated Chicken or Roasted Salmon Stuffed with Herbs.

Serving bowl of tomato and basil pasta topped with parmesan cheese.

Love summer tomatoes? 

Then check out some great recipes and tips on what to do with tomatoes.

If you like this recipe, please leave a 5 star rating 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟with a comment in the recipe card below. Thanks so much!

Serving bowl of tomato and basil pasta topped with parmesan cheese.
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4.87 from 23 votes

Fresh Tomato Basil Pasta With Lemon and Olives

Fresh tomato basil pasta is a beautiful blend of sweet summer-ripe fresh tomatoes, lemon-basil zing, salty olives, capers and Parmesan.
Prep Time12 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time22 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Vegetarian
Servings: 3

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 pounds fresh tomatoes, any colour and shape, Note 1 (about 2 large tomatoes)
  • 1/4 cup basil leaves, roughly chopped
  • 1/3 cup kalamata olives, pits removed, roughly chopped (or other olives)
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (or shaved if preferred)
  • 1/2 pound baby rigatoni or other small pasta (about 2 cups)

Marinade

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoon chopped capers, rinsed (or 1 teaspoon anchovy paste)
  • 1.5 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste

Instructions

  • PREPARE TOMATO-OLIVE MIXTURE: Cut tomatoes into chunks and place in a medium bowl. Add olives, basil, lemon zest and cheese.
  • MAKE MARINADE: In a small bowl, whisk vigorously olive oil, lemon juice, capers, garlic, red pepper flakes and salt. Pour over chopped tomatoes, basil and olive mixture. Set the mixture aside to marinate at room temperature while you boil the pasta.
    1/4 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 teaspoon chopped capers, rinsed, 1.5 cloves garlic, finely minced, 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
  • BOIL PASTA: Put the pasta large pot of salted water that's boiling and cook as per package instructions or until al dente (with a slight firmness). Drain (do not rinse), reserving a cup of pasta cooking water (to adjust pasta consistency if needed later).
  • ASSEMBLE AND SERVE: Put pasta and tomato mixture into the pot (not over the heat). Mix together, adding some of the pasta liquid if needed for a smooth consistency. Drizzle with a touch of olive oil. Adjust seasonings adding a pinch of salt, more basil, etc. Transfer to large shallow bowl and serve with a green salad and some crusty bread or slices of cured meats if desired.

Recipe Notes

  1. Tomato options: Use any type of fresh tomatoes. Heirloom, beefsteak or Roma tomatoes are great choices. Ripe cherry tomatoes and grape tomatoes will also work. Multicolor tomatoes looks beautiful in the dish. 
  2. Pasta options: I smaller pasta like small rigatoni, baby penne pasta or even thin spaghetti like vermicelli. You can also use whole wheat pasta or gluten-free pasta.
  3. Other variations and substitutes
      • Use either shaved or grated parmesan cheese. For a vegan version, use vegan parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast.
      • For the marinade try other seasonings. Black pepper, thyme, oregano, or for a kick of heat, a pinch of cayenne pepper.
      • Add ins:
          • Blanched asparagus cut into small pieces
          • Toasted almond slivers or pine nuts
          • Cooked sausage, smoked chicken, shrimp or fish for a more substantial non vegetarian meal.
  4. Make ahead: To make this pasta ahead, prepare the tomato-olive mixture and marinade a couple of hours ahead, then just before serving, make the pasta and toss it all together.
 
Nutrition values are estimates for a fairly large portion. 
 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 536kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 511mg | Potassium: 617mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1836IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 139mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?We’d love you to rate it above under ‘rate this recipe’ or in the comment section below. Thanks!
4.87 from 23 votes (23 ratings without comment)

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