Dirty Martini Pasta Salad 

This Dirty Martini Pasta Salad is a playful, flavorful twist on the iconic cocktail—perfect for olive lovers. In just about 20 minutes, you can toss al dente pasta with briny green olives, salty feta, and a zesty dressing made from olive oil, olive brine, garlic, lemon, and black pepper. It’s light yet bold, refreshingly simple, and ready to elevate your summer lunches or BBQ spreads. Naturally vegetarian and easily adaptable for gluten-free or vegan diets, it’s a quick, make-ahead option that keeps well in the fridge and brings irresistible martini vibes to your plate. 

Ingredients

• ½ lb pasta of choice (e.g., Mafalda Corta)
  
  

• 1 cup pitted large green olives, roughly chopped
  
  

• 100 g feta cheese, cubed (or blue cheese/goat cheese)
  
  

• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
  
  

• ¼ cup olive brine (from the jar of olives)
  
  

• 1 clove fresh garlic, minced
  
  

• ½ lemon (zest and juice; zest of ½ lemon, juice of ¼ lemon)
  
  

• Black pepper, to taste
  
  

Directions

1. Cook the pasta in lightly salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking.
   
   

2. In a jar, combine olive oil, olive brine, minced garlic, lemon zest and juice, and plenty of black pepper. Shake well to emulsify.
   
   

3. In a large bowl, mix the cooled pasta with chopped olives and feta. Pour the dressing on top and toss until everything is evenly coated. Taste and adjust with more lemon juice, pepper, or salt if needed.
   
   

4. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving to meld flavors.
   
   

Nutrients (per serving — recipe yields 6 servings)

• Calories: 355 kcal
  
  

• Carbohydrates: 30.1 g
  
  

• Protein: 7.6 g
  
  

• Fat: 20.2 g
  
  

• Saturated Fat: 4.5 g
  
  

• Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.9 g
  
  

• Monounsaturated Fat: 12.6 g
  
  

• Cholesterol: 14.8 mg
  
  

• Sodium: 635 mg
  
  

• Potassium: 114 mg
  
  

• Fiber: 2.1 g
  
  

• Sugar: 1.2 g
  
  

• Vitamin A: 48 IU
  
  

• Vitamin C: 1.5 mg
  
  

• Calcium: 105 mg
  
  

• Iron: 0.8 mg