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    Home » Recipes » Spring Recipes

    Dirty Martini Pasta Recipe

    Published: May 11, 2023 by Emily · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Share This Recipe!

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    My Dirty Martini Pasta recipe went (semi) viral on TikTok, and it is an olive-lover's DREAM! It is briny, salty, tangy, and perfectly satisfying. Made with real gin, a sprinkle of blue cheese, green olives and more! 

    pasta in a bowl with a martini next to it.

    One of my favorite cocktails as of lately has been a dirty gin martini. So, I figured why not mix the ingredients for a dirty martini in pasta form! Surely, it must work, and it did! I posted the recipe on TikTok and Instagram and my followers agreed: Dirty Martini Pasta is a HIT! 

    Using Castelvetrano olives, dry gin, olive oil, lemon zest, a bit of butter, and some crumbled blue cheese, this dish is delicious AND easy! Perfect for dinner tonight, a Saturday night pasta, and ideal for the modern-day food lover. 

    Table of Contents:
    • 🎥 Watch the video of this recipe
    • 🍸 Why you'll love this Dirty Martini Pasta
    • 🫒 What you need for this recipe:
    • 📋 How to make Dirty Martini Pasta:
    • 💭 Expert Tips & Tricks
    • Storage & Reheating Tips:
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Related Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe

    🎥 Watch the video of this recipe

    🍸 Why you'll love this Dirty Martini Pasta

    • Perfect for a Dinner Party! 
    • Easy, Make in 30 mins or Less!
    • It is so fun to eat!

    🫒 What you need for this recipe:

    Ingredients and Substitutions:

    • Garlic - Use a fresh clove of garlic, minced or sliced thinly!
    • Olive Oil - I highly recommend using a good quality olive oil, as the flavor will make a big difference. 
    • Castelvetrano Olives - These are the BEST olives. I do not recommend substituting these. Opt for pitted, if possible, and keep the actual olive brine/olive juice! If necessary, manzanilla olives can work, too. 
    • Pasta - I recommend using a long type of pasta shape, such as angel hair, spaghetti, or linguine noodles. Using fresh pasta is great as well!
    • Lemon Zest - I like to use lemon zest strips, but regular grated zest is fine too!
    • Gin or Vodka - Up to you! I find that Gin adds a bit more flavor, but either is fine, and omitting is fine too. 
    • Butter - Use cold, cubed, salted butter. 
    • Salt & Pepper - To taste! Use kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper. 
    • Blue Cheese - Crumbled creamy blue cheese just goes on at the end. I don't recommend omitting as it adds a great tang! However, a goat cheese is fine too, and omitting is fine if you are vegan.
    • Fresh Parsley - For garnish! Use flat-leaf parsley and rough chop. Chives are great here, too. 

    Tools and Equipment: 

    • Medium Pot
    • Medium Pan
    • Sharp Knife & Cutting Board
    • Zester Channel Knife (optional)

    📋 How to make Dirty Martini Pasta:

    Step 1: Prepare Ingredients

    ​Finely mince or thinly slice 1-2 cloves of garlic. 

    Lightly mash or rough chop the green olives. Zest Lemons.  

    Cook pasta to al dente in boiling water that is heavily salted, according to package instructions and set aside. Save about ¼ cup of pasta water. 

    Step 2: Begin the Dirty Martini Pasta Sauce

    Add olive oil to a pot over medium heat. Add garlic and stir. 

    Add lemon zest and crushed olives and sauté until fragrant and garlic is lightly toasted, but not burnt or crispy. 

    Carefully add gin to the hot pan and stir until it is almost evaporated. 

    Whisk in the olive brine until combined. 

    Gradually add butter and stir continuously to emulsify butter until fully incorporated. 

    Step 3: Finishing Touches

    Add the cooked pasta and combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

    If the sauce or pasta seems dry, add a bit of the starch-infused pasta water and stir to combine. 

    Serve hot and garnish with olives, lemon zest, fresh parsley, and blue cheese crumbles.

    pasta in a bowl with glass behind.

    💭 Expert Tips & Tricks

    • Use cold, cubed, salted butter. Cold butter emulsifies into the sauce more effectively, creating a creamy and glossy finish. 
    • Be sure to hang on to the pasta water. If necessary at the end, the salted water can help fix any sauce issues. 
    • Taste along the way! Many of these ingredients are very salty, so be sure to taste and adjust as needed!

    Storage & Reheating Tips:

    • Store in the Fridge: Wait until the pasta comes to room temperature and store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
    • Store in the Freezer: Store in a freezer-safe airtight container for up to about 3 months.
    • How to Reheat: Always inspect leftovers for impurities or mold by using your eyes and nose. Reheat by adding to a nonstick pan with a dash of olive oil over medium heat until heated through. Garnish with fresh parsley.

    Recipe FAQs

    What is Dirty Martini Pasta?

    Dirty Martini Pasta is a dish that was inspired by the flavors of a dirty martini! It is salty, briny, and has some blue cheese and chopped olives as well.

    Can I make this without alcohol?

    This dirty martini pasta can definitely be done without alcohol! Just omit entirely or use a splash of broth in place of the gin or vodka.

    What if I don't like blue cheese?

    If you don't want blue cheese, you can omit it entirely or you could use another cheese like goat cheese!

    Related Recipes

    • Creamy Gochujang Pasta (15 Minutes!)
    • Mentaiko Pasta (Pasta with Cod Roe)
    • Easy Vegan Spaghetti Carbonara
    • Vegan Pasta with Green Sauce

    📖 Recipe

    pasta in a bowl.

    Dirty Martini Pasta Recipe

    My Dirty Martini Pasta recipe went (semi) viral on TikTok, and it is an olive-lover's DREAM! It is briny, salty, tangy, and perfectly satisfying. Made with real gin, a sprinkle of blue cheese, green olives and more! 
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish
    Cuisine: American, Italian
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 2 people
    Calories: 291kcal
    Author: Emily

    Equipment

    • Medium pot
    • Medium pan
    • Sharp Knife & Cutting Board
    • Zester Channel Knife (optional)

    Ingredients

    • 4-6 oz Pasta long pasta like angel hair or linguine.
    • 1-2 cloves Garlic minced or sliced
    • 5-7 Pitted Castelvetrano olives smashed and lightly chopped
    • 1 tablespoon Lemon zest zested into strips is preferred
    • 1-2 tablespoon Olive brine
    • 2 tablespoon Gin or Vodka
    • 1 tablespoon Butter cold
    • Kosher Salt to taste
    • Fresh Cracked Black Pepper to taste
    • 1 tablespoon Flat leaf parlsley chopped or torn
    • 1-2 tablespoon Blue Cheese crumbles

    Instructions

    • Finely mince or thinly slice 1-2 cloves of garlic. 
    • Lightly mash or rough chop the green olives. Zest Lemons.  
    • Cook pasta to al dente in boiling water that is heavily salted, according to package instructions and set aside. Save about ¼ cup of pasta water. 
    • Add olive oil to a pot over medium heat. Add garlic and stir. 
    • Add lemon zest and crushed olives and sauté until fragrant and garlic is lightly toasted, but not burnt or crispy. 
    • Carefully add gin to the hot pan and stir until it is almost evaporated. 
    • Whisk in the olive brine until combined. 
    • Gradually add butter and stir continuously to emulsify butter until fully incorporated. 
    • Add the cooked pasta and combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
    • If the sauce or pasta seems dry, add a bit of the starch-infused pasta water and stir to combine. 
    • Serve hot and garnish with olives, lemon zest, fresh parsley, and blue cheese crumbles.

    Video

    Notes

    • Use cold, cubed, salted butter. Cold butter emulsifies into the sauce more effectively, creating a creamy and glossy finish. 
    • Be sure to hang on to the pasta water. If necessary at the end, the salted water can help fix any sauce issues. 
    • Taste along the way! Many of these ingredients are very salty, so be sure to taste and adjust as needed!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 291kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 245mg | Potassium: 152mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 243IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @LegallyHealthyBlonde or tag #LegallyHealthyBlonde!

    More Spring Recipes

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    • Stanley Tucci's Spaghetti Alla Nerano (Pasta with Zucchini)
    • Blood Orange Gin Cocktail
    • Pink Paloma Recipe (Grapefruit Cocktail)

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    Hi, I'm Emily! I am the classically trained chef-recipe creator behind Legally Healthy Blonde. I love fancy pasta, a good martini, and cooking impressive meals for myself and friends! I created LHB to share my passion of cooking and entertaining with everyone! If you love feel-good food that looks & tastes impressive, you're in the right spot!

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