• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
    • Contact
    • Photo Use Policy

Connoisseurus Veg logo

SUBSCRIBE

Sign up for email updates and receive a free copy of my veggie burger e-book!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • Free Veggie Burger Book
  • About
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    You are here: Home / Entrees / Easy Mediterranean Pasta

    LAST UPDATED: June 13, 2022 • FIRST PUBLISHED: June 13, 2022

    Easy Mediterranean Pasta

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This Mediterranean pasta will be your new favorite weeknight dinner! Packed with cherry tomatoes, olives, artichoke hearts and fresh basil, it's loaded with flavor and comes together in a cinch!

    Skillet of Mediterranean Pasta with wooden spoon on the side.

    I love Mediterranean flavors and boy do I love pasta. In fact, I've combined them before in my favorite vegan pasta salad recipe.

    But up until now I hadn't created a simple Mediterranean pasta recipe that worked as a main dish, I realized recently that one was sorely needed on this site. So I took to the kitchen and got to work!

    This pasta turned out delicious, and it was super easy to throw together. Using pantry items like olives and jarred artichoke hearts and roasted red peppers means there's minimal chopping involved, but LOTS of flavor.

    This one is perfect for those busy weeknights!

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients You'll Need
    • How It's Made
    • Leftovers & Storage
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • More Vegan Pasta Recipes
    • Easy Mediterranean Pasta

    Ingredients You'll Need

    • Dried fettuccine. You can absolutely substitute your favorite variety of dried pasta. Spaghetti, penne, and angel hair pasta would all work great!
    • Olive oil. Just about any high heat oil will work, but olive will give your pasta the best flavor.
    • Garlic.
    • White wine. You can leave this out if you prefer to cook without alcohol. If you do use it, check with Barnivore to ensure the brand you choose is vegan.
    • Cherry tomatoes. Grape tomatoes will also work.
    • Tomato sauce.
    • Artichoke hearts. Look for marinated artichoke hearts, as these will give your pasta the best flavor.
    • Kalamata olives.
    • Roasted red peppers.
    • Sugar. Make sure your sugar is organic in order to keep the recipe vegan.
    • Red pepper flakes. You can leave these out if you're not into heat.
    • Fresh basil.
    • Salt and black pepper.

    How It's Made

    The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!

    • Start by cooking your pasta according to the package directions. Drain it and toss it with a bit of olive oil when it's done.
    • Make the Mediterranean pasta sauce while the pasta boils. Heat up some oil in a large skillet and add minced garlic. Cook the garlic for about a minute until it becomes very fragrant.
    Minced garlic cooking in a skillet.
    • Stir in the wine and halved cherry tomatoes. Bring the liquid to a simmer and cook the mixture until it reduces by about half and the tomatoes start to soften.
    Cherry tomatoes and wine simmering in a skillet.
    • Stir in the tomato sauce, artichoke hearts, olives, peppers, sugar and red pepper flakes. Bring the sauce up to a simmer and let it cook for a few minutes, until it thickens up a bit.
    Mediterranean Pasta sauce simmering in a skillet.
    • Stir in your cooked pasta and simmer it in the sauce for just about a minute.
    Tongs tossing Mediterranean Pasta in a skillet.
    • Take the skillet away from heat and stir in some fresh basil. You can also add some salt and pepper if you'd like.

    Tip: Avoid adding any salt until the dish is completely finished. If you add it too early you risk oversalting the dish, since it already contains a lot of salty ingredients.

    Close up of Mediterranean Pasta in a skillet.
    • Pile your Mediterranean pasta onto plates and dig in! Optionally, you can sprinkle it with some vegan Parmesan cheese if you'd like.
    White surface set with skillet, water glass, and plate of Mediterranean Pasta.

    Leftovers & Storage

    Leftover Mediterranean pasta will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Reheat it in the microwave or on the stove in a skillet. You may need to add a splash of water to thin the sauce while it reheats.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can this dish be made gluten-free?

    Yes! Just use your favorite gluten-free pasta.

    Can I make this recipe with whole wheat pasta?

    You can! In fact, I'd encourage it.

    Why is there sugar in this recipe?

    The sugar helps balance out the acidity of the sauce ingredients, such as tomatoes and artichokes. You may find the dish a bit tart if you leave it out. There are a number of hacks that people use to replace sugar in recipes like this, including using carrot or sweet potato puree. I haven't tried any of them in this recipe, but I think they should work just fine.

    More Vegan Pasta Recipes

    • Pasta with White Wine Sauce
    • Creamy Kale Pasta
    • Spicy Eggplant Pasta
    • Balsamic Asparagus Pasta
    • Easy Lemon Broccoli Pasta
    • Penne Arrabbiata

    Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!

    Skillet of Mediterranean Pasta.
    5 from 5 votes
    Print

    Easy Mediterranean Pasta

    This Mediterranean pasta will be your new favorite weeknight dinner! Packed with cherry tomatoes, olives, artichoke hearts and fresh basil, it's loaded with flavor and comes together in a cinch!

    Course Entree
    Cuisine American, Italian
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 15 minutes
    Total Time 30 minutes
    Servings 4
    Calories 450 kcal
    Author Alissa Saenz

    Ingredients

    • 10 ounces dried fettuccine pasta
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus a dash
    • 3 garlic cloves, minced
    • ½ cup dry white wine
    • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
    • 1 cup canned tomato sauce
    • 1 (6.5 ounce or 184 gram) jar marinated artichoke hearts, roughly chopped (about 1 cup of artichoke hearts)
    • 1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
    • 1 cup roasted red peppers, roughly chopped
    • 1 ½ teaspoons organic granulated sugar
    • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
    • ¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves, packed
    • Salt and black pepper, to taste (see Note)
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

    2. Add the pasta and cook it according to the package directions, until al dente.

    3. Drain the cooked pasta into a colander, return it to the pot and toss it with a dash of olive oil.

    4. While the pasta cooks, place a large skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

    5. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and cook it for about 1 minute, until very fragrant.

    6. Add the wine and cherry tomatoes. Bring the wine to a simmer and let it cook for about 4 minutes, until the liquid has reduced by about half and the tomatoes begin to soften.

    7. Stir in the sauce, artichoke hearts, olives, peppers, sugar, and red pepper flakes. Bring the sauce to a simmer and let it cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly.

    8. Stir in the cooked pasta and let it simmer in the sauce for about 30 seconds.

    9. Remove the skillet from heat and stir in the basil. Season the pasta with salt and pepper to taste, if desired.

    10. Divide onto plates and serve.

    Recipe Notes

    You may find that this dish doesn't need any salt, as it already contains some very salty ingredients. For this reason I'd caution you against adding any salt until the dish is completely finished.

    Nutrition Facts
    Easy Mediterranean Pasta
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 450 Calories from Fat 112
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 12.4g19%
    Saturated Fat 1.8g9%
    Sodium 839mg35%
    Potassium 696mg20%
    Carbohydrates 69.2g23%
    Fiber 7g28%
    Sugar 10.9g12%
    Protein 12.3g25%
    Calcium 75mg8%
    Iron 5mg28%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    « How to Press Tofu (3 Methods!)
    Classic Vegan Caesar Salad »

    Sharing is caring!

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Email

    About Alissa Saenz

    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors! You can read more about me here.

    I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

    Subscribe

    Subscribe for email updates and receive a free copy of my veggie burger e-book!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kami Johnson says

      June 18, 2022 at 7:19 pm

      5 stars
      Made this tonight! Delicious! Went together quick and easy

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Alissa Holding a Coffee Cup

    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors!

    More about me →

    Popular

    • The Best Vegan Banana Bread
    • Crispy Baked Teriyaki Tofu
    • Creamy Vegan Rice Pudding
    • Classic Lentil Soup

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up for emails and updates

    Contact

    • About
    • Contact
    • Photo Use Policy

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more here.

    Copyright © 2013-2022 Tofu Press LLC & Alissa Saenz

    106 shares
    • 30