Every time I open a can of olives for a specific purpose, I'm left with what seems like hundreds of them to use up, which is how I discovered this recipe.


I was skeptical at first, and you may be, too, but the olives give the cream sauce great flavor, and if you season generously with pepper, parsley, and parmesan, you will not be disappointed. (Unless you hate olives.)

Ingredients

  • ½ lb. raw pasta - rigatoni or ziti
  • 10 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 3 cups green olives, sliced
  • 2 tbsp. oil
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • salt
  • pepper
  • parmesan
  • fresh parsley

Directions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the garlic and sliced olives. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.
  2. Add the heavy cream and milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover the frying pan, and cook until sauce has reduced by about half.
  3. Cook pasta al dente. Drain. Pour sauce over the pasta and season generously (to taste) with salt and pepper.
  4. Top each serving with generous lashings of parmesan cheese and fresh parsley. Do not skimp on the salt, pepper, parmesan or parsley—without them the dish will be too bland.

Yields: 4 servings