PASTA PEARLS AND OLIVE SALAD

Pasta Pearls and Olive Salad image

Acini di pepe is a small, round, pasta perfect for soups and salads. This salad can be served hot, cold, or my favorite, room temperature. Try some different combinations of additions to make variations, such as roasted broccoli with toasted almonds; sun-dried tomatoes, wilted arugula, olives, and feta cheese; spinach; or scallions and feta cheese.Israeli couscous or orzo can be substituted for the acini de pepe.

Provided by madchef

Time 25m

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 7

Ingredients

½ pound acini di pepe pasta
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, quartered
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Steps:

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a rolling boil; cook the acini di pepe in the boiling water until cooked through yet firm to the bite, about 9 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
While the pasta cooks, melt the butter with the olive oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Once the foam subsides, cook and stir the garlic and red pepper flakes in the butter mixture until the garlic is golden brown, about 2 minutes; remove from heat and stir the olives in with the garlic mixture. Transfer to bowl with the pasta and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to serve.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 229.2 calories, Carbohydrate 30 g, Cholesterol 10.2 mg, Fat 9.7 g, Fiber 1.1 g, Protein 5.2 g, SaturatedFat 3.2 g, Sodium 187 mg, Sugar 1.3 g