Mediterranean Pasta with Artichokes

This easy Mediterranean pasta comes together in under 30 minutes for a bright, healthy weeknight dinner. Tender rigatoni, cherry tomatoes, and a basil breadcrumb finish make it feel special.

Some nights it’s a pasta night, but you want something a little more interesting than mac and cheese. This Mediterranean pasta with artichokes and olives was born out of that mood: it’s a chunky comfort-food pasta but with bright vegetable energy!

Something I’ve come to understand after years of cooking through the Mediterranean diet (for this site and for my new book) is how the important the shape of the pasta is. Here rigatoni feels substantial stabbed on a fork with chunks of cherry tomato, tangy artichoke, and briny olives. It also comes together in under 30 minutes, meaning it’s a great vegetarian dinner or pasta side dish.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s hearty without being heavy. No cream sauce or butter: just olive oil, vegetables, and a hint of Parmesan cheese.
It fits the Mediterranean diet. I created this recipe to feature olive oil, vegetables, and whole-food Mediterranean diet staples like artichokes and olives.
Done in under 30 minutes. It’s a fast weeknight dinner that doesn’t taste like a shortcut.
It’s vegetarian and easy to adapt. Add a can of seasoned chickpeas or some flaked tuna for even more protein, or serve with a white bean salad.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Most of what you need is already in a well-stocked Mediterranean diet pantry. A quick tour of the key players:

Rigatoni: I like rigatoni here because the wide tubes catch the chunky vegetables, but any short, ridged pasta (penne, spirals, ziti) works well.
Cherry tomatoes: Try for ripe in-season tomatoes or there are many hothouse cherry tomatoes that taste great.
Canned artichoke hearts: A Mediterranean diet pantry staple! I always have a few cans on hand.
Green olives: Castelvetrano are my favorite (buttery, mild, not too briny), but any mild green olive works.
Garlic, lemon zest, and Parmesan: These add big flavor dimension.
Panko, smoked paprika, and fresh basil: The best part is the basil breadcrumb topping: sprinkle it as a required garnish before serving.

How to Make Mediterranean Pasta with Artichokes & Olives

Here’s the rhythm of the recipe: full instructions are in the recipe below!

Boil the rigatoni in well-salted water until al dente, and reserve pasta water before draining.
Saute the cherry tomatoes in olive oil until they release their juices, then add the garlic, olives, and chopped artichoke hearts.
Make the basil breadcrumb topping by mincing fresh basil with panko, smoked paprika, and salt.
Toss everything together with lemon zest, grated Parmesan, and a splash of pasta water. Garnish with basil breadcrumbs before serving.

Pro tip: Don’t skip the pasta water. Even a quarter cup transforms the dish from “vegetables next to pasta” into a glossy sauce. A tip from my mom: I place a liquid measuring cup right into the colander in the sink so I never forget before draining the pasta!

What to Serve Alongside

I usually treat this as a one-bowl meal because it has so much going on: pasta, vegetables, herbs, cheese. However, if you’re serving it as a vegetarian dinner it’s nice to have an added protein element since the pasta is not high protein in itself. It’s also nice to add fiber; here are some ideas:

A bean salad like my marinated dense bean salad or white bean salad
Cooked beans like canned chickpeas, easy white beans or cannellini beans
A simple green salad like a simple arugula salad
Crusty bread like sourdough bread, olive bread, or artisan bread
Broccolini or sautéed greens on the side like sauteed broccolini or easy sauteed kale
A glass of crisp white wine

Storage & Make-Ahead Tips

This dish is best served right away. Leftover pasta stores refrigerated for up to 3 days; store the breadcrumb topping in a sealed container in the pantry.

To reheat, add a splash of olive oil to a skillet and warm over medium heat until heated through. I don’t recommend freezing this pasta because the texture doesn’t hold up.

Dietary Notes

This Mediterranean pasta is vegetarian. To make it vegan, swap the Parmesan for nutritional yeast or a vegan Parmesan alternative. To make it gluten-free, use your favorite gluten-free pasta and gluten-free panko for the topping.