5.0 from 3 votes
'Dead Fly' Pasta Recipe
This 'Dead Fly' Pasta makes a gross Halloween dinner! Ready in under 20 minutes. This is a great quick pasta dinner before you head out trick or treating or as a main course at your Halloween party. The 'flies' are black olives that make a delicious and easy pasta sauce when mixed with oil, garlic, anchovies, and pine nuts. When it isn't Halloween, you can serve this just as Black Olive Pasta, and your guest will love it!
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
20 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 742 kcal
Course:
Main Course
Cuisine:
Italian
Ingredients
- ¼ cup pinenuts -see note 1
- 12 oz pasta -see note 2
- ½ cup olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 anchovy fillets -see note 3
- 1 cup black olives, finely chopped -see note 4
- ½ cup dry white wine -see note 5
- fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Start by dry toasting the pinenuts. To do this, place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pinenuts and cook until golden; immediately remove them from the pan and give them a rough chop. Set aside.¼ cup pine nuts
- Bring a large pan of water to a boil. Salt it generously and cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the packet suggests. Once cooked, use a large measuring cup to reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and then drain the pasta.12oz/360g pastasalt
- Meanwhile, place a large skillet over medium-low heat, add the olive oil, and then chopped garlic in the olive oil. Cook for a minute and then add in the chopped anchovy fillets. Let them dissolve into the oil.½ cup olive oil2 minced garlic cloves2 anchovy fillets
- Add the chopped olives and stir to coat in the oil.1 cup chopped black olives
- Pour in the white wine, turn up the heat and allow the wine to evaporate by at least half.½ cup dry white wine
- Add the cooked pasta to the olive sauce and mix well. Pour in a little of the pasta cooking water and keep stirring until everything is combined and the pasta is cooked perfectly.
- Serve immediately sprinkled with the toasted pine nuts and seasoned with black pepper.toasted pinenuts (from step 1)black pepper to taste
Cup of Yum
Notes
- Pinenuts add a delicious creamy crunch to the pasta. But you can leave them out if you don't have them. Or replace them with your favorite nut. Cashew nuts or walnuts would be a great alternative.
- I like the long pasta noodles for this dish, but you can replace it with any pasta shape you prefer.
- When you add the anchovies to the garlic and olive oil, they almost melt away. What you are left with is an intensely flavored mixture that has that umami quality and leaves you licking your lips, but you don't know why. If you really can't stand them, then you can leave them out and add ¼ cup of grated parmesan when you toss the pasta with the sauce.
- Use any black olives that you like. You can often find already chopped ones in jars. Just be sure to drain them well.
- Use any dry white wine that you enjoy. If you can't consume alcohol, you can replace this with just water or a low sodium vegetable broth.
Nutrition Information
Calories
742kcal
(37%)
Carbohydrates
78g
(26%)
Protein
15g
(30%)
Fat
40g
(62%)
Saturated Fat
5g
(25%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
7g
Monounsaturated Fat
25g
Cholesterol
1mg
(0%)
Sodium
536mg
(22%)
Potassium
321mg
(9%)
Fiber
5g
(20%)
Sugar
3g
(6%)
Vitamin A
136IU
(3%)
Vitamin C
1mg
(1%)
Calcium
48mg
(5%)
Iron
2mg
(11%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 742
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 742kcal | 37% |
| Carbohydrates | 78g | 26% |
| Protein | 15g | 30% |
| Fat | 40g | 62% |
| Saturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 7g | 41% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 25g | 125% |
| Cholesterol | 1mg | 0% |
| Sodium | 536mg | 22% |
| Potassium | 321mg | 7% |
| Fiber | 5g | 20% |
| Sugar | 3g | 6% |
| Vitamin A | 136IU | 3% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 48mg | 5% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.