Dirty Martini Pasta

Gin, dry vermouth and olive brine come together in this deliciously moreish dirty martini pasta.

As a lover of the dirty martini, I’m very much enjoying the fact that dirty martini pasta is having it’s moment on social media right now. I wonder how we didn’t come to realise earlier that martini flavours and pasta make a good match? Anyway, we’re here now. And I’ve eaten this dish three times in the past three days, it’s delicious.

The dirty martini has it’s own intriguing history dating back to the early 20th century. While its exact origins remain a subject of debate, one thing is clear: it gained popularity during the Prohibition era. The olive brine helped mask the taste of subpar spirits. The addition of brine gave the martini a savory and briny twist, earning it the “dirty” moniker. Although it took a while to reach a wider fan base, it did eventually, with dirty martini lovers including President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who often whipped them up for guests who visited the White House.

A bottle of dry vermouth and gin next to a plate of pasta.

Now imagine gin, dry vermouth and olive brine emulsified with butter. Simply perfection. Dirty martini pasta is very simple, but comes together quickly and hits the spot. The martini flavours are complimented with a little garlic, lemon zest and pepper. The even better part? This is a 15 minute meal! I suggest cooking your pasta first, and while that’s going, prep your other ingredients and whip up the sauce.

Watch the video here. If you make this one, don’t forget to tag me on TikTok or Instagram, I truly love to see it!

In terms of a drink pairing, seems fitting to choose a dirty martini? See my recipe for that one here. ☺️

Dirty Martini Pasta

Gin, dry vermouth and olive brine come together in this deliciously moreish dirty martini pasta.

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Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 15

Servings: serves

Author: Andrea

Ingredients

200 g spaghetti pasta
½ c olives pips removed (Sicilian or castelvetrano)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic clove sliced
Zest of half a lemon
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
30 mL olive brine
30 mL gin
30 mL dry vermouth
50 g cold unsalted butter
¼ c parsley chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Cook pasta in a pot of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente.
Meanwhile, crush olives with your knife while you heat olive oil in a pan over the medium setting. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add crushed olives, lemon zest and pepper and cook for a further couple of minutes, stirring occasionally.
Pour in olive brine, gin and vermouth and mix everything together to heat. Drop in cold butter and stir through to emulsify.
Add cooked pasta by dragging it from it’s pot to the pan. This way you’ll also add a little starchy pasta water. Throw in the chopped parsley and give a good toss. Check season and adjust if necessary, then serve.