This Penne pasta with Kalamata olives, tomatoes, and goat cheese is a flavor-packed, nutrient-dense, meat-free meal. Perfect for a mid-week meal and summery cookouts!
Add this to your rotation alongside pasta with zucchini and tomatoes, healthy pesto pasta with broccoli, or healthy pasta salad!
Quick 30 minute pasta dinner that I made with a lot of Kalamata olives from a giant jar from Costco, farmer’s market tomatoes and organic soft goat cheese that had to be used up ASAP. Then I added fresh garden basil and parsley, grown by me.
I also quickly sautéed tomatoes in a new crop of garlic my neighbor gave me, for added flavor. Grape tomatoes are great too in healthy pasta dishes, I just didn’t have any.
I mean pasta and tomatoes are delicious together! Like this tomato pasta salad, Italian pasta salad, and chicken whole wheat spaghetti.
I don’t wanna say this recipe is awesome because if it wasn’t I wouldn’t be posting it. Kalamata olives + pasta = match made in heaven, try it!
For pasta I used my favourite organic kamut penne which is smaller than regular penne. If you have Celiac or gluten sensitivity you can use gluten-free pasta. As always, a reminder to read the ingredients label as majority of gluten free products are not clean and contain many chemicals and additives.
More Healthy Meat-free Pasta Recipes
- Penne with broccoli
- Mushroom stroganoff
- Healthy mac and cheese
- Healthy taco pasta
- Spaghetti in tomato sauce
Penne with Kalamata Olives, Tomatoes and Goat Cheese
Ingredients
- 12 oz whole wheat or kamut penne dry (use gluten free if necessary)
- 2 – 3 large garlic cloves crushed
- 1 tbsp coconut or avocado oil
- 2 large tomatoes sliced (grape tomatoes work too)
- Pinch of salt and ground black pepper
- 2 cups Kalamata olives pitted & cut in halves
- 1/4 cup parsley finely chopped
- 3 tbsp basil or mint I prefer, finely chopped
- 3 oz goat cheese crumbled
- Salt to taste if necessary
- 1/3 cup pine nuts optional but so good
Instructions
- Cook pasta al dente as per package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- In the meanwhile, preheat large deep skillet on medium heat and swirl oil to coat.
- Add garlic along with tomatoes and cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and ground black pepper to taste.
- Add olives, cooked pasta, parsley and basil (mint) to the skillet with tomatoes; stir to combine.
- Add goat cheese and pine nuts (if using); stir gently. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to taste if necessary. Serve warm.
Good substitute for goat cheese? Or can leave out?
You can leave it out.
Another perfect meal!
Well done Olena.
This was delicious!
Delicious, easy to make, and fast!
For a little extra nutrition and what I had in the fridge, I added fresh spinach, and Beech mushrooms. I had feta, not goat cheese, so that was my substitute. Really scrumptious…Iwish I had made more for dinner!
Thanks for the positive feedback Lynn!
Really delicious! I made it with a pint of grape tomatoes and that was perfect. The olives and pine nuts really make the dish!
First of all, thank you for the link to the video. My girls and I have watched the first half and will watch the second after dinner. Second, I totally get you and I am feeling your pain. School can’t start soon enough. Deep breaths. For both of us!
I know. My brain feels like exploding. It is just so busy and everyone wants a piece of me all at same time. Just so busy and active with summer activities and Birthdays and house projects. And my 4 year old is probably 80% of the stress. Just no down time. Glad you enjoyed a video.:) It is good to look at things from a different perspective.
Olena: Enjoy your downtime on vacation. Looking forward to your down to earth blog posts and yummy recipes when you return. Try not to be so hard on yourself. Although, i echo your sentiments about being the brains of the household. I don’t even have kids buts it seems like if i don’t organize daily tasks nothing gets done. Is that a female thing? Take care.
Thank you very much, Tracey! I think us, women, meant to be household mavens and brains but in 21st century we are also expected to work otherwise financially it is hard. Men do not like to plan and rodeo us tasks so automatically it falls on us. We get burnt out. With kids it becomes way worse. I have 3 men now and they are all the same, little or grown up. Kids take up a lot of energy and emotions as they get older. I will relax this weekend though. I’m just tired. Have a great weekend too!