5 Ingredients or Fewer
by: Emma Laperruque
June15,2021
4.5
8 Ratings
- Prep time 30 minutes
- Cook time 50 minutes
- Serves 4 to 6
Jump to Recipe
Author Notes
A no-mayo—and no-cheese—pasta salad to befriend any summer BBQ spread. Roasting bell peppers at a super-high heat turns them soft and sweet, just-right to go with buttery Castelvetrano olives and salty anchovies. While walnuts may seem unexpected in a savory recipe, they add a much-needed crunch here, and I love their meaty (yes, meaty!) flavor. A few notes on substitutions: If you can’t find Castelvetrano olives, try oil-cured instead; and if you can’t find those either, feel free to swap in Kalamatas (just lower the quantity since they’re significantly saltier). If you don’t like walnuts, try almonds or cashews. And when it comes to the pasta shape: Any short shape will work great. I like bow-ties, but penne, cavatappi, or fusilli are all fair game. —Emma Laperruque
- Test Kitchen-Approved
What You'll Need
Watch This Recipe
Pasta Salad With Roasted Peppers, Green Olives, Walnuts &Anchovies
Ingredients
- 3 bell peppers, preferably a mix of warm colors (red, orange, yellow), halved
- 1 tablespooncanola oil
- 1 1/2 cupswalnut pieces and halves
- 1/2 poundshort-shaped pasta
- 3/4 cuppitted and torn Castelvetrano olives
- 1 (2-ounce) can anchovy fillets, drained and finely chopped
- 5 tablespoonsextra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pinchkosher salt, plus more for the pasta water
Directions
- Heat the oven to 500°F. Line a rimmed sheet pan with foil, then add the bell peppers. Rub each with canola oil (you just want a thin film, so if there’s any excess on the sheet tray, wipe it away with a towel). Roast the bell peppers for 20 to 30 minutes, flipping halfway, until their skin is charred and the flesh is fork-tender. Remove the sheet pan from the oven and bundle the peppers in the foil to steam for about 10 minutes (this will help the skins loosen).
- Set a large pot of water on the stove over high heat to come to a boil.
- Drop the oven temperature to 350°F. Add the walnuts to another sheet pan and toast them in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until they’re fragrant and deeply golden-brown. Let them cool completely before removing their skins. My favorite way to do this: Set a colander on top of the sheet tray, dump the walnuts in the colander, and use your hand to swirl them around; the skins will fall through the holes. (Don’t worry if a few stubborn skins remain on the walnuts.)
- After the peppers have steamed, peel away as much of the skin as possible (a little remaining is fine). Lop off the tops, remove the seeds, and give the peppers a rough chop. Add to a large bowl, along with the olives, anchovies, and olive oil.
- When the water starts boiling, season it generously with salt (I estimate 1 tablespoon kosher salt per quart of water). Add the pasta and stir. Cook it for about 8 minutes, or until al dente (I start taste-testing at 7 minutes to avoid overcooking). Reserve ½ cup or so of pasta water, then drain.
- Add the pasta and walnuts to the bowl with the roasted peppers. Season with a big pinch each of salt and pepper, then toss. Add more salt, pepper, olive oil, or pasta water if necessary. You can eat this right away or leave it at room temperature to eat later in the day. If you refrigerate the pasta salad, you might want to add a bit more oil or pasta water right before serving to loosen it up.
Tags:
- Pasta Salad
- American
- Anchovy
- Walnut
- Bell Pepper
- 5 Ingredients or Fewer
- Backyard BBQ
- Summer
- Fourth of July
- Side
- Dinner
See what other Food52ers are saying.
-
FrugalCat
-
Emma Laperruque
-
-
Lauracm
-
Kyle Em
Emma was the food editor at Food52. She created the award-winning column, Big Little Recipes, and turned it into a cookbook in 2021. These days, she's a senior editor at Bon Appétit, leading digital cooking coverage. Say hello on Instagram at @emmalaperruque.
Popular on Food52
4 Reviews
Lauracm June 16, 2021
Absolutely fantastic! I only had marinated black olives and used 3 colored peppers for double the recipe. A hit all around! Thank you Food52!
FrugalCat February 12, 2020
Olives and anchovies! Make sure to stay hydrated- at least 2 glasses of water per serving.
Kyle E. June 25, 2019
Simple and thoroughly delicious. This is like a pescatarian anti-pasta pasta salad. The simplicity really helps the buttery Castelvetrano olives take center stage. I added a little Aleppo pepper (for heat), Meyer lemon zest (I wanted a hint of acid without the liquid), finished with a sprinkle of Maldon sea-salt. This is one for the books. I love your contributions Emma: Thank you for this.
Emma L. June 26, 2019
Thank you, Kyle! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
