Tomato and Olive Penne

If you’re looking for a super quick, super flavorful dish, this is it. It is amazing really, how a few carefully chosen ingredients can provide so much flavor. Even if you’re not a big olive fan, you need to try this dish.

Tomato and Olive Penne

Makes 4 servings. Adapted from Everyday Food.

INGREDIENTS
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 lb penne
1/4 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

DIRECTIONS
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the penne until al dente according to the package instructions. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the cherry tomatoes, oregano, red pepper flakes, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring, until the tomato juices run, about 1-2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and continue to cook another 2-3 minutes.

Add the penne, olives, parsley, and 1/4 cup parmesan to the skillet and toss to combine. Serve with more cheese if desired.

Bruschetta with Goat Cheese and Olive Tapenade

Sometimes we like to eat bites. Not full meals, but rather a series of appetizers in place of a single dish. “Morsels” as Taylor likes to call them. These crispy and tart little toasts are just that, morsels. You’ve got to like olives though – as the tapenade definitely tastes like olives. Strong olives. Though, that could partially be amplified by the fact that I *forgot* to add the olive oil, all 1/4 cup of it, at the end. I guess my mind started thinking about goat cheese and I was a goner…

Mmm… goat cheese…

Bruschetta with Goat Cheese and Olive Tapenade

Makes 1 heaping cup (we made half the recipe and it was more than enough for appetizer sized servings for 3-4 people). Recipe from Wolfgang Puck.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup Niçoise olives, pitted
1 cup small green French olives (Picholine), pitted
1/4 cup Oven-Dried Tomatoes, drained
1 tablespoon capers
1 garlic clove
1 anchovy fillet
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 baguette, sliced on a bias into 1/3″ thick slices
4 oz. goat cheese, room temperature

DIRECTIONS
In a food processor, combine all the ingredients except the olive oil. Using the pulse button, process until coarsely chopped and well blended. Continue to process, slowly adding the olive oil. Refrigerate in a covered container. Use as needed. Will keep up to 1 week, refrigerated, in a covered container.

Brush bread slices with olive oil, and broil for 1-2 minutes until golden. Spread with goat cheese, and top with a dollop of tapenade.

Artichoke Heart, Olive, and Goat Cheese Pizza

When you have a good foundation, you can build just about anything. Like cupcakes. Once you have your fail-safe vanilla/chocolate cupcake base, you can experiment with flavors to your heart’s content.

Same is true for pizza. I’m in love with this crust. It’s crisp, flavorful, and complex. It could practically pass as focaccia, delicious without any toppings at all. Granted, it requires most of the day as far as planning ahead, but the results are well worth it.

This time, we topped the crust with some artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, sundried tomatoes, and as always, goat cheese.

Quite the tasty treat! And while it doesn’t quite satisfy Taylor’s constant craving for greasy pepperoni pizza, it sure hit the spot for me. I’d never been one for red sauce pizzas, so for me, this is the pizza of my dreams.

Artichoke Heart, Olive, and Goat Cheese Pizza

Makes 2-4 servings (depending on how hungry you are and how big you roll it).
INGREDIENTS
Crust:
3/4 cup warm water
1 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast (from 1 envelope)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups (about) unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
1 teaspoon dried thyme

Topping:
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14 ounces) water-packed artichoke hearts, drained
3 slices oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
2-1/2 ounces soft goat cheese, sliced or crumbled
10 kalamata olives, pitted and halved (about 1/4 cup)

DIRECTIONS
For crust:
Pour 3/4 cup water into large bowl. Sprinkle yeast over; stir to blend. Let stand 10 minutes to dissolve yeast. Add oil, salt, and herbs, then 1 1/2 cups flour. Stir until well blended (dough will be sticky). Turn dough out onto generously floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, adding just enough flour to prevent dough from sticking, about 5 minutes (dough will be soft). Shape dough into ball; place in large oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with kitchen towel. Let dough rise at cool room temperature until almost doubled, about 2 hours. Punch dough down; form into ball. Return to bowl; cover with towel and let rise until doubled, about 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Punch down dough. Form into ball; place on floured work surface. Cover with kitchen towel; let rest 30 minutes. Sprinkle rimless baking sheet with cornmeal. Roll out dough on floured surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to baking sheet.

Mix olive oil, rosemary, and garlic in small bowl, and set aside.

Bake crust for 5-7 minutes or until just set. Remove from oven and brush 2 tablespoons garlic oil evenly over crust. Sprinkle with artichoke hearts, olives, sundried tomatoes, and crumbled goat cheese. Drizzle pizza evenly with remaining garlic oil.

Bake pizza until crust is crisp and cheese begins to brown, 15-18 minutes. Transfer pizza to board. Cut into wedges and serve warm.