Pasta With Olives Piquant (Moosewood)

From Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers. Suggested olives for taste and color variety: kalamatas, green olives, stuffed olives (pimientos, garlic or lemon peel).

• Ready In: 15 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1  lb spaghetti or 1  lb other pastas
• 1 1⁄2 cups  assorted pitted  olives
• 4  garlic cloves, minced
• 3  tablespoons olive oil
• 1⁄2 cup  minced fresh parsley
• 1⁄4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1⁄2 cup  grated pecorino romano cheese (optional) or 1⁄2 cup parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions

1. Cook pasta until al dente.
2. Finely mince olives.
3. Combine oil and garlic in a heavy pan, heating over low heat until golden in color.
4. Add red pepper flakes, olives and parsley.
5. Stir constantly, cooking just until parsley wilts.
6. Remove from heat.
7. Before draining pasta, dip out 1 cup of the water.
8. Drain pasta and transfer the noodles to your serving bowl.
9. Toss in your olive sauce.
10. Use a little of the cooking water that you saved to "wash" the remaining sauce out of the pan. Toss the water/sauce mix into the pasta.
11. Add more cooking water if your pasta seems dry.
12. Top with grated cheese.