Linguine with Ajvar Sauce
Tender strands of pasta tossed in a smoky, garlicky roasted red pepper sauce. Add salty kalamata olives and nutty parmesan cheese and this incredible meal is ready to serve in about 20 minutes.
The word ajvar comes from the Turkish word havyar, which means “caviar”! Ajvar is a robust sauce/spread produced in most Balkan countries (Bosnia, Croatia, North Macedonia, Albania, Slovenia, Serbia). It’s an assertive blend of charred red bell peppers, roasted eggplant, garlic, oil, and vinegar. Ajvar is smoky, garlicky and rich, and is served as a spread for crusty bread, a topping for meats and vegetables, and as a dip when combined with a little yogurt. In this recipe, it makes an incredible sauce for pasta!
You will love the explosion of flavors in this dish. And there are very few ingredients! All the flavor comes from the prepared ajvar – a jar of awesomeness.
This quick and easy pasta recipe is made with pantry staples. All you need is a jar of ajvar, a box of linguine, onion, garlic, olive oil, olives, and parmesan cheese. And check this out – we use the flavorful pasta cooking water to thin the ajvar, creating the most incredible sauce for pasta. Always save your pasta cooking water when making sauces!
You can make this dish spicy if you want! For a spicy dish, use hot ajvar and/or add crushed red pepper flakes before serving!
I chose linguine, but any pasta shape works. I like the long strands of noodles for this dish, but it would be equally fabulous with smaller tubes of penne or rigatoni, shells, twists, and bowties. And if you’re looking for a gluten-free option, try the sauce with rice, a rice blend, quinoa, or your favorite grain.
You don’t have to serve this dish hot! If you’re looking for a dish you can serve room temperature or chilled, this is a great option! That means, you can serve this as a pasta salad!
Linguine with Ajvar Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pound linguine, or pasta of choice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced onion, any color
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 1/4 cups or 10 ounce-jar ajvar
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup pitted kalamata/Greek olives, halved lengthwise
- Grated parmesan cheese for serving
- Fresh parsley for serving, optional
Instructions
- Cook the linguine according the package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water, and cover with foil to keep warm.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and oregano and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the ajvar and bring to the simmer.
- Add the pasta cooking water and return to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the cooked pasta and olives and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Top with parmesan cheese and parsley (if using) and serve.