Gettin' Dirty!

I love a good Dirty (Gin) Martini, in fact it is one of my favorite drinks. So how would you feel about turning that popular cocktail into an amazing meal? As bizarre as it may sound, this Dirty Martini Pasta is outrageously full of flavor, and don't worry - the alcohol cooks off so everyone can enjoy! And I dual-purposed the sauce to make a killer garlic bread to serve alongside the pasta. Here is how to make it!

I always recommend having all ingredients prepped and ready prior to cooking. For me, it saves time and helps to keep me organized, which is the only way I can work. One tablespoon of lemon zest, one cup of pitted and chopped olives with brine reserved (I used Castelvetrano but you can use any olive that you love), three tablespoons of chopped fresh Italian parsley, six cloves of thinly sliced garlic, two tablespoons of finely minced garlic, lemon wedges, butter, grated Parmesan cheese, heavy cream, and of course, your favorite gin or vodka. I also brought a large pot of water to a boil and heavily salted it so that it would be waiting for me when it was time to cook the spaghetti.

I began by melting one tablespoon of butter in two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.

Once sizzling I added the chopped garlic, one tablespoon of the parsley, a pinch of red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. I let it cook until fragrant.

I sliced one small French baguette in half lengthwise and then cut each half into quarters on a bias. I placed them cut side down into the garlic butter/oil and allowed to cook until the bread absorbed the garlic butter/oil and became slightly golden and toasted.

I removed the bread to a piece of aluminum foil, sprinkled on a bit of Parmesan cheese, and placed it in a preheated 300 degree oven while I finished the sauce.

At this point, I added another tablespoon each of butter and oil to the pan to begin building the sauce and I added one pound of dried spaghetti to the boiling water, cooking according to the package directions. If you are using fresh pasta, wait until the sauce is almost finished since fresh spaghetti cooks faster.

Once the butter melted, I added the olives, lemon zest, sliced garlic, another small pinch of red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper and cooked until fragrant, approximately five minutes, stirring often to prevent burning.

OFF the heat, I added one third cup of gin and then returned to low heat, stirring occasionally until the alcohol had cooked off and reduced by half, approximately four minutes.

I added two thirds cup of heavy cream, one third cup of olive brine, and one cup of pasta water...

...followed by the cooked spaghetti. I tossed until the sauce had thickened and coated all of the spaghetti.

Finally, I added the rest of the parsley, a big handful of fresh Parmesan cheese, and another tablespoon of butter.

I served with fresh lemon wedges and the garlic bread. A little extra sprinkling of Parmesan, salt, and black pepper can't hurt!