Tapenade Pasta Salad

By Clare de Boer

Updated July 30, 2026

  • Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Anna Billingskog.
Media 1 of 1
Ready In
1 hr 10 min
(10 min prep, 30 min cooking, plus 30 min cooling)
Rating
4(191)
Comments
Read comments

This pasta salad is intensely savory and plush with blitzed olives. The green beans and basil let us know it's summer. Unlike many pasta salads, which can be greasy or dry, this one is creamy from the addition of pasta water to the dressing. As the noodles cool in the tapenade, they absorb its flavors and some of the pasta water, leaving just enough behind to emulsify the olive oil, so every bow tie stays glossy.

Featured in: How a Top New York Chef Makes Her Pasta Salad So Much Better

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

    or to print this recipe.

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:8 to 10 servings

For the Tapenade

  • 1½ cups pitted kalamata olives

  • 1 garlic clove, finely grated or minced

  • ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or dried herbes de Provence

  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed

  • Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

  • 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

  • ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil

For the Pasta

  • Salt 

  • 1 pound short pasta, such as farfalle

  • ½ pound green beans, halved crosswise

  • ½ cup fresh basil leaves

  • ⅓ to ½ cup shaved ricotta salata, optional

  • Freshly ground black pepper

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 to 10 servings)

39 grams carbs; 5 milligrams cholesterol; 283 calories; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 11 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 271 milligrams sodium; 7 grams protein; 2 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to boil.

  2. Step 2

    Make the tapenade: Place the olives, garlic, thyme, fennel seeds, lemon zest and red wine vinegar in the bowl of a food processor. Blitz until the olives are broken down, but not into a paste. Add the olive oil and pulse once to combine. Scrape into a large bowl and set aside.

  3. Step 3

    Prepare the pasta: Boil it for 4 minutes before adding the green beans, then continue to cook until the pasta is slightly shy of al dente and a little too firm to eat (the timing will range depending on the brand you’re using). Reserve 3 cups of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and green beans. Tip the pasta and beans into the bowl with the tapenade, add 2 cups of the pasta water, and toss to combine.

  4. Step 4

    Stir the pasta from time to time as it cools to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Taste it. If it starts to look a little dry, add another splash of pasta water, or vinegar if it needs more acid.

  5. Step 5

    Tear in the basil leaves, sprinkle over the ricotta salata (if using) and top with freshly ground black pepper just before serving, ideally at room temperature.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

4 out of 5
191 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Comments

lisa

Currently 4 out of 5 stars, 18 comments, and not one from a person who has *made* the salad. Why rate with stars if you haven't cooked it? Can people who have actually made this pls speak up.

Max Alexander, Rome

Ricotta salata is ricotta that is aged (for 30 days) and salted so it becomes hard--not hard like Parmigiano but solid enough to shave. Doubtless rare in America as is real ricotta (no, those grocery store tubs are not actual ricotta). You could substitute Mexican cotija or even feta.

Amber

I made this (with large shells) and got enthusiastic comments chez nous. And gave it 5 stars. Dressing the pasta hot and adding pasta water is a genius idea. 8 oz green beans is enough and not too much. The zest of a large lemon was a great complement to the olive flavor and I also added about a pint of bisected cherry tomatoes at the end. For those in a hurry, I wonder about using a pint of tapenade in a jar, with oil and vinegar added to dress the hot pasta.

Cindy

It was kind of bland. I added lemon juice, more vinegar and salt. The pasta water made it too soupy, maybe 1 cup instead of 2. It could still need more oomph.

Ferguson

I made this and it worked fine and we ate it but we really didn't like it. It could be useful if you have a lot of olives to use up or if you have a guest allergic to the nightshade family (no potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants). There are so many tastier pasta salad recipes I think, like this basic one: https://insight-report.report/recipes/1023328-pasta-salad%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E%3Cdiv class="noteactions_noteActions__VlyP0">

Susan F, Seattle

Just made this and it’s easily one of the best pasta salads I’ve ever had. I blanched the green beans first so they were vibrant and crisp, sprinkled with a dash of salt and set aside. Cooked the pasta solo, al dente. Also did a Greek mix of olives (green + Kalamata). Forgot to grab basil while at the store but instead added some shiitake mushrooms sautéed in tamari, sriracha, and maple syrup. Used ricotta salata but also added a crumbled feta with herbs. It was even better the next day, great either room temp or cold. This is a fun one to play around with and a new family favorite!

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

or to save this recipe.