Mediterranean Pasta (Easy & Healthy)

Close up of Mediterranean pasta in a gray bowl with a fork sticking in it.

4.77 from 13 votes

Mediterranean Pasta (Easy & Healthy)

This delicious and easy Mediterranean Pasta is packed with colorful, nutritious ingredients. Made with simple pantry ingredients in under 30 minutes, it's the perfect quick weeknight meal.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Entree, Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 361kcal

Author: Dr. Sonali Ruder

Equipment

Ingredients

8 ounces whole wheat spaghetti
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
⅛ teaspoon red chili flakes (optional)
1 pint (2 cups) grape tomatoes, halved
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
1 can (9 ounces) artichoke hearts (or 1 package frozen artichoke hearts, defrosted), drained and cut into quarters
2 tablespoons capers
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 ounce freshly grated parmesan or vegan parmesan cheese* (about ½ cup freshly grated or ¼ cup pre-grated cheese)

Optional garnishes:

Fresh basil or parsley, freshly grated parmesan cheese, olive oil for drizzling

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil and add the spaghetti. Cook according to package directions, until al dente. Drain the pasta and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water.
While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce. Slowly heat the olive oil with the garlic and chili flakes in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot and the garlic is fragrant, add the halved tomatoes. Cook 4-5 minutes until tomatoes start to soften and break down. Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper.
Add the quartered artichoke hearts, capers, lemon juice, and lemon zest to the pan and toss to combine. Cook a minute or two until the ingredients are heated through.
Add the cooked spaghetti to the pan along with the grated cheese and about ½ cup of the reserved pasta water. Toss to coat the pasta with the sauce. Continue to cook the pasta for another 1-2 minutes. Add more pasta water as needed until a smooth sauce is formed, coating all of the pasta. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as desired.
Before serving, garnish pasta with desired toppings like fresh basil or parsley, grated parmesan cheese, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Notes

If you want to keep this recipe vegan, try my 4-ingredient dairy-free parmesan cheese instead of regular cheese.

Make sure you mise en place (prep and have all of your ingredients ready) when making this dish. Once you start cooking, the dish comes together very quickly.

Heat the olive oil slowly in the skillet with the garlic and chili flakes to gently infuse it with flavor. Do not raise the heat too high and allow the garlic to brown or burn, otherwise it will taint its flavor.

Once the spaghetti is cooked, add it to the skillet with the sauce and cook another minute or two to allow the flavors to meld.

Be sure to reserve about a cup of the pasta water to use when you're making the sauce. Add enough pasta water to create a smooth sauce that coats the spaghetti.

Nutrition