Pasta with Artichoke Sauce

This pasta with artichoke sauce is a fast, light Mediterranean dish that comes together while the fettuccine boils. Artichoke hearts get sautéed with onion and garlic in olive oil, then white wine, oil-cured olives, parsley, and lemon zest go in for a brief cook that brings everything together without heavy cream or butter.

The oil-cured olives are what give this sauce its backbone. They’re more intensely flavored than regular canned black olives, with a rich, briny depth that pairs naturally with the mild, slightly nutty artichoke hearts. A little goes a long way.

Lemon zest added at the end lifts the whole dish with a bright, citrusy note. It keeps the sauce from tasting flat and brings out the flavors of the artichoke and parsley. Grated Parmesan on top adds salty richness that ties it all together.

Toss the sauce with the pasta while it’s still hot so the starchy noodles absorb the flavors. Save a splash of pasta water to loosen things up if the sauce seems too thick.

Kitchen Tips

• Use frozen or canned artichoke hearts, not marinated. Marinated artichokes are already seasoned with vinegar and herbs that will clash with this recipe’s flavors.
• Don’t overcook the sauce. The artichokes just need to warm through and the wine needs barely a minute to cook off its raw alcohol edge.
• Oil-cured olives can be salty, so taste before adding additional salt.
• A long pasta like fettuccine or linguine catches the chunky sauce better than short shapes.

Variations

• Add cherry tomatoes: Halve a handful of cherry tomatoes and toss them in with the artichokes for a pop of color and acidity.
• Sun-dried tomato version: Replace the olives with chopped sun-dried tomatoes for a sweeter, less briny variation.