Pasta With Capers, Mint, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

This pasta with capers recipe brings Sicilian-inspired flavors to your dinner table in just 20 minutes. Made with simple ingredients, salty capers, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh herbs, olive oil, and currants, this pantry pasta delivers lots of flavor with very little effort.

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Why These Flavors Work Together

The combination of briny capers, sweet sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh mint is classic Sicilian cooking — balancing salty, tart, and fresh flavors in one dish. Olive oil ties everything together while currants adding a touch of sweetness if you choose to use them. This is one of those pantry pasta recipes that tastes far more complex than the ingredient list suggests.

What Are Capers?

Capers are the unopened flower buds of the caper bush (Capparis spinosa) and bring a salty, briny flavor with a bright, lemony bite. Packed in brine or salt and sold in small jars near the olives and pickles, they add so much flavor with almost no prep work — exactly why they work so well in simple pasta recipes like this one.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Ready in about 20 minutes — perfect for busy weeknights
• Made with a handful of ingredients
• Salty capers, mint, and sun-dried tomatoes add lots of flavor
• Uses pasta water and olive oil for a silky sauce without heavy cream or butter
• Quick, easy, and budget-friendly

Ingredients For This Pasta With Capers Recipe

• Short pasta – Fusilli, penne, or rigatoni work best because the ridges catch all the sauce. Cook in heavily salted water until al dente.
• Garlic – Adds savory flavor to balance the sweet and salty ingredients.
• Mint leaves – Fresh mint gives this pasta its Sicilian flavor. Swap with flat leaf parsley or basil if needed.
• Sun-dried tomatoes – Use oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
• Capers – Look for capers packed in brine for this recipe. If you only have salt-packed capers, rinse before using
• Currants (optional) – Add bits of sweetness and is traditional to Sicilian cooking, leave out if you can’t find them. Raisins don’t work here, they are too big.
• Olive oil – Use a good quality olive oil like California Ranch Extra Virgin Olive Oil since it makes up much of the sauce.
• Kosher salt – I always use Morton kosher salt unless otherwise specified
• Red pepper flakes (optional) – adds a spicy kick, add as little or as much as you’d like

How To Make Pasta With Capers

Step one. Cook The Pasta. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup pasta water before draining.

Step two. Toss and Serve. Add the hot cooked pasta back to the pot it was cooked in. Add all the other ingredients and toss well, adding pasta water a little at a time until glossy and evenly coated. Season with salt and red chile flakes and serve immediately.

Tips For Making The Best Pasta With Capers

• Use fresh herbs — fresh mint is key to this dish
• Don’t skip pasta water — it creates the silky texture
• Season the pasta water generously with salt (it should taste like the ocean)
• Cook the pasta in a large pot of water
• Add red pepper flakes for subtle heat
• Add extra olive oil if the pasta feels dry

What To Serve

This pasta with capers recipe makes a great main course for busy weeknights because it doesn’t need much to turn it into an easy dinner. This easy recipe is also great room temperature or cold as a pasta salad, making it perfect for summer parties.

For drinks, pair it with a crisp white wine like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc — both work especially well with the briny tang of capers and olive oil-based pasta dishes.

Serve alongside:

• Garlic bread, green olive bread or focaccia for soaking up every last bit of the olive oil
• Start the meal with a veggie appetizer like baked beet chips or parmesan carrot fries
• A crisp green salad or browse my collection of lettuce salads for more fresh and crunchy side dish ideas
• Serve with Italian stuffed vegetables for a heartier meal

Storage and Leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To reheat, add a splash of water or olive oil to loosen the pasta and warm gently. Leftovers are also great cold with extra fresh herbs or a squeeze of lemon juice.

Pasta FAQs

Do I need to rinse capers before using them? Maybe. If you are using capers packed in salt you will need to rinse them, otherwise, no.

What proteins go well with this pasta? Pan-seared shrimp, smoked chicken thighs, roasted chickpeas, or white beans all work well with the salty capers and fresh herbs.

Can I add lemon to this recipe? Absolutely. Fresh lemon juice and lemon zest add brightness and pair perfectly with the briny tang of capers.

Why is pasta water important? Pasta water helps create a silky coating so the olive oil sticks to the pasta without needing a heavy sauce.