Black olive, thyme, and mushroom pasta from François Chartier Recipe

Name: Black olive, thyme, and mushroom pasta from François Chartier
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 8 portions
Ingredients: 30 mL (2 tbsp.) olive oil; 1 Spanish onion, finely chopped; 227 g (8 oz.) sliced shiitake mushrooms; 375 mL (1 ½ cups) sundried black olives (pitted and coarsely chopped); 15mL (1 tbsp.) crushed juniper berries (optional); 1 sprig of fresh thyme, leaves removed; 1 package (454 g) pasta (ideally gemelli); To taste, freshly ground black pepper

Ingredients

30 mL (2 tbsp.) olive oil
1 Spanish onion, finely chopped
227 g (8 oz.) sliced shiitake mushrooms
375 mL (1 ½ cups) sundried black olives (pitted and coarsely chopped)
15mL (1 tbsp.) crushed juniper berries (optional)
1 sprig of fresh thyme, leaves removed
1 package (454 g) pasta (ideally gemelli)
To taste, freshly ground black pepper

PREP TIME 15m	COOK TIME 25m	TOTAL TIME 40m
YIELD 8 portions

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large skillet with a lid.
Add the onion and sear.
Add the shiitake mushrooms and sauté until golden brown.
Add the black olives, juniper berries, and thyme and sauté a couple of minutes.
Reduce heat, cover, and cook slowly for a few minutes.
Bring a large saucepan of generously salted water to a boil.
Pour in the gemelli and cook until al dente, or even a bit firm.
Drain pasta and transfer it immediately to the skillet containing the olive mixture. Increase the heat and mix well.
Tip: Pour in a bit of water, or better yet some pasta cooking water, to bring out the black olives' colour, thus adding colour and more flavour to the pasta.
If needed, adjust the amount of olive oil to taste, and add a generous amount of freshly ground pepper.
Important: Don ’t add salt to the dish because the olives are usually already salted. Serve immediately.