Dirty Martini Pasta Salad
This Dirty Martini Pasta Salad is a summery, lighter twist on the viral TikTok recipe. It’s best served cold on a warm day, hopefully with a cocktail in hand!
My go-to drink is a dirty martini with vodka. I love when there are blue cheese stuffed olives too!
I love pasta salads in the summer. My two favorites are my Elote Inspired Pasta Salad, and my Trofie Pesto and Red Pepper pasta salads.
When I saw the warm pasta version of this cocktail by Legally Healthy Blonde, I knew I had to make a pasta salad version to be served just as cold as the drink. I also have a Dirty Martini Deviled Egg recipe on my Instagram!
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Ingredients
- Short form pasta: This can be any small pasta shape like malfada corta (what I used), fusilli, farfalle, or orecchiete that holds the dressing well and provides a good bite.
- Castelvetrano olives: I love these olives because they are somewhat mild and buttery, and their brine pairs so well with the blue cheese.
- Crumbled blue cheese: The key to a great dirty martini are blue cheese stuffed olives. Blue cheese is a must in this recipe! I love the Treasure Cave blue cheese.
- Parmesan cheese: A hard, aged cheese with a rich, nutty flavor that has nothing to do with the drink, but adds a nice salty, savory depth to this pasta salad.
- Brine from the olives: This salty, tangy liquid from the olive jar adds depth and an extra punch of olive flavor in the dressing.
- Lemon: We use the zest and juice for acidity and brightness in the dressing.
- Seasoning: We add a bit of garlic powder, salt, and pepper to the dressing for a bit of depth and enhancement of flavor.
- Dijon mustard: This adds a tangy, slightly spicy note and helps emulsify the dressing.
- Olive oil: A smooth, rich oil that forms the base of the dressing and helps meld all the flavors together.
- Vodka (or gin): This is a dirty martini pasta salad after all! We add just enough to have a slight kick. Feel free to lessen or omit as desired.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions for Dirty Martini Pasta Salad
This pasta salad recipe is super easy!
- Boil the pasta according to package instructions, in heavily salted water.
- Smash the olives with the back of your knife, then roughly chop. Set aside.
- Make the dressing. Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, olive brine, dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and garlic salt and vodka. Whisk together until combined,
- Add the pasta to a bowl along with the olives, crumbled blue cheese, and grated parmesan. Pour over the dressing and mix thoroughly.
What is a dirty martini?
A dirty martini is a salty savory variation of a classic martini cocktail, with olive brine (or olive juice) as a key ingredient. This addition gives the drink a slightly cloudy appearance and a distinctive, savory flavor. Some choose to have this cocktail with vodka, and others with gin. You can also order it “extra dirty” with more olive juice.
My preferred version of a dirty martini uses vodka over gin, and contains at least three blue cheese stuffed olives.
Substitutions and Variations
Feel free to make this recipe your own! Taste as you go and adjust accordingly. Here are some ideas:
- Pasta shape – this recipe ges best with shorter pastas. If you don’t have malfada corta, I suggest bow-tie, orecchiette, gemelli, or fusilli rigate!
- Olives – I prefer this dirty martini pasta salad recipe with castelvetrano olives specifically. However, you can use your green olive of choice, such as pimento stuffed green olives.
- Cheese – To me, a dirty martini is incomplete without a blue cheese stuffed olive. I know this pungent cheese is not for everyone. At the very least, keep the parmesan. Instead of the blue cheese, consider adding goat cheese or feta for some punch.
- Alcohol – the addition of vodka or gin is optional! Especially if serving with kids.
Other cocktail-inspired recipes:
Rate This Dirty Martini Pasta Salad Recipe
Lastly, if you do make this Dirty Martini Pasta Salad recipe (then first of all, thank you!!), be sure to rate this recipe and leave a comment and rating below!
It would mean the world to me if you tagged me on Instagram or TikTok (@snackingemily) so I can see your creations.
Dirty Martini Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Pasta Salad
- 1 lb short form pasta
- 2 cups castelvetrano olives drained, (about the amount in a 10oz jar)
- ¾ cup crumbled blue cheese
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
Dressing
- 5 tablespoon brine from the olives
- 1 medium lemon juice and zest
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small shot vodka optional (can sub gin)
Instructions
- Boil the pasta according to package instructions, in heavily salted water. Drain, then option to drizzle with a bit of olive oil so the noodles don’t stick together.
- Add the drained olives to a cutting board. Using the flat side of a large knife, smash the olives down gently but firmly. You don't want to turn the olives into mush, we just want to break them down slightly. Then, chop the olives. Set aside.
- Mix all of the dressing ingredients together in a bowl and whisk together until uniform. Taste and adjust if you'd like.
- To a large bowl, add the cooked pasta, chopped olives, crumbled blue cheese, and grated parmesan. Pour over the dressing and mix thoroughly. Serve and enjoy!
I am addicted to this!!!
Made this for the fourth and it was gone quick. Will be making again soon. Great recipe for martini lovers.