Muffaletta Pasta is like the famous sandwich right in a bowl! We added all the flavors of a muffaletta sandwich to a tasty pasta recipe!
What food says New Orleans the best? A muffaletta sandwich.
Muffaletta’s are one of those foods that everyone does kind of differently. The basic recipe is the same. It has a a variety of meats like salami, ham, and mortadella and also cheese which is usually provolone or mozzarella. The key part to this sandwich is the olive salad. Everyone has their own way of doing it, some make it spicy, some make it extra vinegary, it all depends on what you like.
The way that the sandwich is eaten varies as well. Some eat it cold like a submarine sandwich, and others press it on a grill or a panini press to toast the bread and melt the cheese.
I think I prefer the toasted way, melted cheese is always better in my book.
But since I saw so many recipes for muffaletta sandwiches I thought I’d try and make something different like this uniques pasta recipe.
It has all the flavors of the traditional sandwich tossed together with pasta in a tomato cream sauce.
I wasn’t sure how it would turn out at first but once we all dove in- I knew it was a hit. Anytime I don’t have to tell my five year old to take a bite 30 times during dinner, I know it’s a good one.
This is how I did it-
Gather up all your ingredients so that they’re ready to go. I used salami, pancetta, mortadella and sopressata. For the “olive salad” I used chopped green and black olives, about a cup.
Get your meats in the pan first, you’ll want to render off some of the fat and get some color on them. It’ll take about 5 minutes. Take the diced meat out of the pan and set on a plate with paper towels. Drain off all but about 1 tablespoon of the fat in the pan.
Then throw in some chopped shallot and garlic, then the olives.
Put the meat back into the pan then add in a can of diced tomatoes with the juice. Top it off with some cream and it’s the sauce is done.
Now all you have to do is cook up the pasta, I used cavatappi, but what shaped pasta you want to use is up to you.
When the pasta is done, drain it and put it back into the pot you cooked it in. Pour the muffaletta sauce over the top, add in some pearl mozzarella and stir to combine.
There you have it- Muffaletta Pasta! Enjoy!
Looking For More Pasta Recipes?
- Easy Penne Vodka
- Bucatini with Fresh Corn & Clams
- Classic Beef Lasagna
- Penne with Homemade Arrabbiata Sauce
Muffaletta Pasta
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeMuffaletta Pasta is a fun twist on the classic sandwich recipe from New Orleans! We love serving this delicious pasta recipe for dinner parties or game days!
Ingredients
- 1 pound cavatappi pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 pound mortadella, about a 1/2″ thick slice from the deli, diced
- 1/4 pound pancetta, diced
- 1/4 pound sopresatta, about a 1/2″ thick slice from the deli, diced
- 1/4 pound salami, about a 1/2″ thick slice from the deli, diced
- 1 cup mixed olives, chopped
- 8 ounces small fresh mozzarella pearls, or you can use a fresh mozzarella ball and just dice it up
- 1 large shallot, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, diced finely
- 28 oz. diced tomatoes
- 1/2 cup of chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Fresh black pepper
- 1/4 cup shaved brussels sprouts (for garnish and a little crunch, I bought mine at Trader Joe’s but I’m sure most grocery stores will carry. But you can easily omit)
Instructions
- Start a large pot of water to boil for the pasta.
- Start the muffaletta sauce by placing all the diced meat in a large skillet with the olive oil. brown well, about 5 minutes over medium high heat, then place on a paper towel lined plate to drain.
- Drain off all but 1 T. of the fat from the pan and then add the shallots. Add in the italian seasoning and a few grinds of fresh black pepper. Cook for 3 minutes before adding in the diced olives, cook for 3-4 minutes more. Add in the minced garlic, Cook for 1 minute, then add the chicken stock. Cook down for a minute then add the diced tomatoes. Let the sauce simmer for 15- 20 minutes At this point you can taste the sauce to see if it needs salt.
- Next, turn the heat down to low and put the cream into the sauce. Stir and cook for another 5 minutes, cover and let sit until your pasta is done.
- When the water comes to a boil for the pasta, add it in and cook for 8-10 minutes according to the package directions.
- Drain the pasta and place it back into the pot you cooked it in. Pour the muffaletta sauce over the pasta and add the mozzarella pearls. Stir well to combine and serve.
- Top with shredded brussels sprouts and parmesan cheese.
Recipe Notes
Make the sauce completely before adding any salt, the olives and the meat already give enough salt to the sauce, so only add more salt at the end if needed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
