Name: Mushroom Olive Pasta
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 6 cloves garlic; 2 8 oz. packages cremini or 'Baby Bella' mushrooms (or mushroom of choice); 2 Tbsp. olive oil (split); generous pinch kosher salt; generous pinch pepper; 1 package Barilla Red Lentil Rotini; 1 cup reserved pasta water; 2 tsp. Italian seasoning; 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes; 1 cup Kalamata olives; 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese; 1/2 cup fresh basil (or herb of choice)

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This Italian Mushroom Olive Pasta recipe is ready in 30 minutes! It's made with mushrooms, Kalamata olives, garlic, and Parmesan cheese.

This post is sponsored by Barilla but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

This Kalamata Mushroom Olive Pasta is healthy, vegetarian, and gluten free. It's full of Mediterranean flavors that are both light AND flavorful!

Mushroom Kalamata olive pasta with fresh basil next to box of red lentil rotini pasta.

Pasta has always been one of my favorite all-around meals. There are many reasons for this: It's cheap, versatile, and can be whipped up in no time at all. I cut gluten out of my diet 5 months ago but that did NOT mean I was about to give up pasta!

There are a number of gluten-free pasta products on the market - Some of them are fantastic and some of them are...marginal. I was SUPER excited to have discovered Barilla's new line of Legume Pasta.

I used the Barilla Red Lentil variety to create this Mushroom Olive Pasta recipe.

It's easy enough for a weeknight meal but feels a little fancy at the same time which means you can impress your family with your cooking skills.

Jump to:

Which Mushrooms Are Best For Pasta?
How To Sauté Mushrooms In Skillet
How To Make Mushroom Olive Pasta
Finish The Pasta In The Skillet
What To Serve With Mushroom Olive Pasta
How Long Does Mushroom Pasta Last In The Fridge?
Mushroom Olive Pasta

Box of red lentil rotini pasta on white surface.

One of the things that excites me the most about this Barilla Red Lentil Pasta is that it's made with only ONE ingredient - Red Lentils! How many products on the market today can you find that are made with only one simple ingredient?

I was blown away by both the taste AND the texture of this pasta - It cooks up perfectly and retains a nice, springy texture.

It's also full of plant-based protein and fiber making it great for vegetarian and vegan diets. This pasta is perfect if you're trying to incorporate more clean eating recipes into your repertoire.

Chopped mushrooms on wooden cutting board with knife.

Which Mushrooms Are Best For Pasta?

I've always felt that lentils have sort of an 'earthy' flavor so I wanted to incorporate ingredients that are earthy in nature. There is nothing 'earthier' than mushrooms.

I am definitely a mushroom fanatic. This may be a controversial opinion but as far as I'm concerned the more mushrooms the better.

To make this Mushroom and Olive Pasta simply cut 2 8 oz. packages of cremini (also known as 'Baby Bella') mushrooms into small pieces.

You can also use white button, Portobello, or any variety of mushroom you like. The cremini is a great choice because they're inexpensive and provide great flavor.

Any variety of mushroom you like may be used to make this Mushroom Olive Pasta!

Chopped mushrooms sautéed in skillet with wooden spoon.

How To Sauté Mushrooms In Skillet

My favorite way to prepare mushrooms like cremini is to saute them in some Extra Virgin Olive Oil along with a pinch of salt and pepper.

And because pasta without garlic is, like, illegal these mushrooms are sauteed with minced garlic.

Mince 6 cloves of garlic.
Heat a skillet to medium-low and add 1 Tbsp. of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Once the oil is heated add the minced garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes, stirring often.
Add the chopped mushrooms along with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Saute for 5-6 minutes, stirring often. The mushrooms will shrink a bit and caramelize a bit. The salt will draw the water out of the mushrooms, creating a flavorful liquid.

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Mushroom olive pasta in skillet next to box of red lentil rotini pasta.

How To Make Mushroom Olive Pasta

The Barilla Red Lentil Pasta can be prepared as the mushrooms are sauteed in the skillet. This pasta is seriously easy to make!

Simply prepare 1 box of pasta according to package instructions. 7-9 minutes should get you perfectly al dente pasta. Drain the pasta when it has finished cooking and reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.
Add the pasta to the skillet along with the cooked mushrooms, 1 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2 tsp. Italian seasoning, ½ tsp. red chili flakes, and the 1 cup of reserved pasta water.
Toss all of the ingredients to coat.

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Mushroom olive rotini pasta with fresh basil in skillet with wooden spoon.

Finish The Pasta In The Skillet

I really wanted to drive home the Mediterranean flavor in this pasta and what better ingredient to accomplish that than olives?

Mushroom and olive are two flavors that were just meant to go together. The brininess of the olives makes the flavor in this pasta pop and gives it just the right amount of saltiness.

What Kind Of Olives Should I Use?

I went with Kalamata olives but you could use any variety you like.

Simply chop 1 cup of pitted Kalamata olives in half and add them to the pasta.
Add 1 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese as well. Stir the olives and the cheese into the pasta.

Mushroom olive rotini pasta with fresh basil on white plates.

What To Serve With Mushroom Olive Pasta

The Parmesan cheese should melt into the pasta providing a bit of richness. The Extra Virgin Olive Oil along with the pasta water creates a light sauce that coats the pasta perfectly.

The mushroom and olive both complement the pasta but don't overpower it.

It's a light meal that feels more decadent than it is! I don't know about you but I love to finish any pasta off with some fresh herbs.

You can use any herb you like but I'm partial to basil. Simply mince ½ cup of fresh basil and garnish the pasta before serving.

Parsley or chives also make a great herb topping. Feel free to add more Parmesan cheese as well.

I always love to serve healthy pasta dishes like this one with an Italian Green Bean Salad, Marinated Tomato Salad or Fresh Snap Pea Salad.

Forkful of pasta lifted from white plate next to box of red lentil rotini pasta.

How Long Does Mushroom Pasta Last In The Fridge?

Any leftovers may be stored in an airtight conatiner in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Be sure to allow the pasta to cool completely before transferring to the fridge for storage.

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