This quick Mediterranean orecchiette pasta with simple pantry staples is the perfect dinner for busy nights! White beans add fiber and plant-based protein, making it extra satisfying, while tomatoes, garlic, herbs, and Pearls Kalamata Pitted Greek Olives, fill it with big flavor! 

This post is sponsored by Pearls Olives. All opinions are my own.

Orecchiette pasta in a skillet, topped with arugula. smaller bowls of red pepper flakes and olives to the side

On busy weeknights, especially since we’re back to school now, I can always count on pasta for a quick and delicious dinner everyone will enjoy. 

To me, pasta dinners are also a great way to use what produce and pantry staples I have on hand to make things interesting without too much work. 

Enter today’s fun orecchiette recipe, loaded with fresh tomatoes, garlic, herbs, peppery arugula, white beans—for a little plant-based protein—and Pearls Kalamata Pitted Greek Olives, one of my favorite ways to add instant flavor! 

As much as I love a classic marinara sauce, there are enough layers in this white bean pasta that a lighter sauce with good olive oil and a splash of white wine is just right. 

cooked pasta with sauce in the skillet with a bowl of arugula and a bowl of feta to the side and a jar of kalamata olives

Orecchiette Pasta

Orecchiette--pronounced oh-reck-ee-ET-tay--translates to “little ears” in Italian. Not to be confused with shells, this round pasta that resembles a cup comes from southern Italy, and specifically Puglia, where it is often served with chunks of chopped greens or veggies. You'll often see orecchiette recipes with broccoli rabe, for example

I find orecchiette’s fun shape perfect for this white bean pasta recipe because it will nicely catch the chunks of beans and tomatoes. 

But if you don’t have it, farfalle, penne, or another short pasta with some texture, are all good substitutions for orecchiette in this recipe. The draw is in the layers of flavors, and for me, an olive lover, Pearls Kalamata Pitted Greek Olives are key in this delicious pasta dinner. 

bowl of white bean orechiette pasta with a jar of olives in the background

Pearls Kalamata Olives 

I use Pearls Olives often to add flavor, especially on pizza and pasta dishes. And because they are 100% grown and packed in sunny California, picked at the peak of freshness, you can truly taste the difference. And I love the fact that Pearls takes care of the earth, running a 99% zero waste facility  and recycling more than 2 billion gallons of water! 

For this particular recipe, their pitted Kalamata Pitted Greek Olives are the perfect match to the other Mediterranean flavors I use. These hand-picked, hand-crafted purple gems have a firm texture, and they burst with rich, fruity flavor, adding a little something special to this vegetarian orecchiette recipe. 

ingredients for orecchiette. Bowls of dry pasta, roma tomato, white beans, arugula, olives, red onions, garlic, and spices

How to make this orecchiette recipe

This dish takes just a few simple steps, starting with cooking the pasta and creating the sauce, then tossing in the rest of the ingredients at different stages. Here is how:

  • Once you get your orecchiette in the boiling water for a few minutes, you can get started on creating the sauce by sautéing fresh garlic and onions, seasoned with thyme, oregano, and red pepper flakes, in some good extra virgin olive oil. Then, to add the white wine and lemon juice with a bit of the pasta cooking water. 
  • To the sauce, add the white beans (from a can) and chopped tomatoes and cook for a little while until warmed through and softened (about 5 minutes). 
  • Finally, toss in the pasta and finish with the arugula, olives, and bits of creamy feta (you can omit the feta if you want to keep this dinner vegan). 
orecchiette pasta in a bowl and a skillet next to it

More pasta recipes to try:

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4.89 from 67 votes

Orecchiette with White Beans, Tomatoes, and Olives

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Suzy Karadsheh
Orecchiette pasta in a skillet
This quick Mediterranean orecchiette pasta with simple pantry staples is the perfect dinner for busy nights! White beans add fiber and plant-based protein, making it extra satisfying, while tomatoes, garlic, herbs, and olives, fill it with big flavor! 
Prep – 10 minutes
Cook – 15 minutes
Cuisine:
Italian, Mediterranean
Serves – 4 people
Course:
Dinner

Ingredients
  

  • ½ lb orecchiette pasta or similar short pasta
  • Kosher salt
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 6 garlic cloves minced
  • ½ large red onion chopped
  • 1 cup white wine
  • Juice 1 lemon
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 4 Roma tomatoes chopped
  • 1 15- ounce can cannellini beans or white beans of your choice, drained and rinsed
  • 2 cups baby arugula
  • ½ cup Pearls Kalamata Pitted Greek Olives plus more to your liking
  • Feta cheese for garnish optional

Instructions
 

  • Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add salt. Cook the pasta in boiling water to al dante. Be sure to reserve a bit of the pasta cooking water.
  • About 4 minutes after you put the pasta in the boiling water, work on the sauce. In a large skillet, heat 4 tablespoons EVOO over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions, and season with kosher salt. Add the thyme, oregano, and pepper flakes. Cook, tossing occasionally, for about 3 to 5 minutes or until the garlic and onions have softened.
  • Add the white wine and cook for a couple of minutes until it reduces a bit, then add the lemon juice and ¼ cup of the pasta cooking water. Add the tomatoes and beans and cook for 5 minutes.
  • When the pasta is ready drain and add it to the skillet and toss to combine with the tomatoes and beans. Taste and adjust salt.
  • Stir in the arugula, olives, and feta cheese, if using. Enjoy!

Notes

  • If you don't have orecchiette pasta, another short pasta like farfalle or penne will work. 
  • Store leftovers in the fridge in a tight-lid container. If stored properly, leftovers will keep for 3 to 4 days. 
  • Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including extra virgin olive oils and spices. 

Nutrition

Calories: 395.3kcalCarbohydrates: 68.3gProtein: 15.4gFat: 3.8gSaturated Fat: 0.6gSodium: 524.3mgPotassium: 419.9mgFiber: 9.6gSugar: 4.7gVitamin A: 986.5IUVitamin C: 15.2mgCalcium: 143.5mgIron: 4.4mg
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I'm Suzy; born and bred right on the shores of the Mediterranean. I'm all about easy, healthy recipes with big Mediterranean flavors. Three values guide my cooking: eat with the seasons; use whole foods; and above all, share! So happy you're here...
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Comments

  2. 5 stars
    Such an easy yet delicious recipe! Another home run. I make at least two recipes from Mediterranean dish every week and love, love, love all of them. Things I don’t normally eat are olives and beans, yet the dish is so incredibly flavorful, I went back for seconds. The instructions make it simple to prepare. Suzie, thank you for introducing me to new meals and new flavors. Where have you been all my life?!

    Reply

  3. 5 stars
    I made this last night following the recipe exactly. My husband loved it, and we finished it off for lunch today.

    Reply

  4. 5 stars
    I'm making this tonight, any suggestions on what I could substitute the white wine with? Looks delicious, thank you!

    Reply

    1. Hi, Carrie. I'm so sorry I'm just seeing your question. I'm not always able to get to them right away. For the future, broth is usually a good substitute for the wine here.

      Reply

  5. 5 stars
    Hi Suzy, Just superb! Great recipe thank you! I adjusted it slightly by re-heating the boiled pasta in a skillet at medium heat with naughty butter, the lemon juice and Rosemary prigs to give it a distinct flavour within the Salad. I also added two ears of freshly grilled corn too. Apart from that followed your recipe completely and it was an absolutely perfect, filling and a cleansing fresh tasty salad. The other half we'll have tonight for Dinner and I'll freshen it up with either some Bacon or Chorizo! I have posted a photo and #you on Instagram too! I have tried a few other recipes of yours recently and will comment soon. Thanks again for the inspiration... Cheers!

    Reply

      1. 5 stars
        Hi Suzy, the Salad just gets better in its original flavours 24hrs later! I freshened it up adding Chorizo (quartered and grilled) and it added a subtle spicy depth to the Salad plus changed the textures too! A Keeper recipe... Cheers!

  6. 5 stars
    I enjoyed this dish so very much!! Meatless Mondays it is!! Thank you so much!! I look forward to trying more of your dishes!!

    Reply

  7. 5 stars
    Another fantastic recipe! Made it using the arugula, feta, and olives. It was so delicious.
    Thank you!

    Reply

  9. 5 stars
    This was such a delicious and very tasty dish. Very happy to share this with my family this weekend! Can’t wait to make this again!

    Reply

  11. 5 stars
    Lovely recipe, as usual! Easy to make, very tasty and - of course - Mediterranean! Thank you!

    Reply

  14. 5 stars
    This was absolutely delicious!! I used up cooked pasta I had in the refrigerator so didn’t have pasta water but veggie broth worked fine. Also used 2 cans of white beans. We didn’t get to eat it right away and the pasta soaked up the sauce a bit but the wonderful flavors had more time to meld. We will be having this again! SOON!! Thanks!

    Reply