Capricciosa Pasta Recipe for Mushroom, Artichoke, Olive and Ham Fusilli

My capricciosa pasta recipe for mushroom, artichoke, olive and ham fusilli makes a quick and easy pasta inspired by the capricciosa pizza, an Australian favourite in the 1970s, invented in Rome in the 1930s. Featuring the key ingredients of the old-school pizza minus tomato sauce, my capricciosa pasta can be made with extra virgin olive oil or add cream for a deliciously rich pasta. Sprinkle liberally with Parmesan and grind on cracked black pepper.

If you enjoyed my asparagus and mushrooms, bacon and Parmesan gnocchi recipe, please try my capricciosa pasta recipe for mushroom, artichoke, olive and ham fusilli. It’s become one of the pasta recipes I have on repeat. It’s delicious, quick and easy, and versatile: skip the cream (I prefer just extra virgin olive oil) or add more for a rich, creamy pasta (mum’s preference!).

As with the asparagus and mushrooms gnocchi, it was a dish I conceived for my mother, who can’t eat spicy food anymore, and when it comes to eating Asian food, only eats Cantonese. Aside from Russian-Ukrainian food and Middle Eastern food, mum only really enjoys Italian food these days, especially pastas, and particularly rich and creamy pastas.

Mum adores any dishes with mushrooms and loves the ham/bacon and mushroom combination – another perfect ingredient combo along with those other genius pairings I mused about in previous posts: cucumber and yoghurt, tomato and buffalo mozzarella, etc – so I’ve been developing new recipes that meet mum’s criteria. Lots more to come but suggestions welcome!

Capricciosa Pasta Recipe for Mushroom, Artichoke, Olive and Ham Fusilli

Going through old family photos for a book proposal I’m working on got me nostalgic for family food favourites from my childhood. There was a black and white pic of my parents peeling a mountain of boiled prawns on newspaper, which had me craving old-fashioned prawn cocktails, oysters Kilpatrick and lobster Mornay. It’s no surprise my parents went on to open a French seafood restaurant a couple of years later.

Once I start reminiscing about food, I can’t stop, so my mind went to everything from devilled eggs and French onion soup, beef Stroganoff and chicken Kiev, chicken schnitzel and my mum’s ‘spag Bol’ – which was very much like this spaghetti Bolognese, the Italian-Australian take on an authentic ragù alla Bolognese from Bologna – to short soup, prawn toasts, lemon chicken, and fried ice cream.

As a child growing up in Sydney‘s western suburbs in the Seventies, Thursday night was late night shopping night. After dropping the shopping at home, we’d head out to dinner. For a few years there, it was either to a favourite local Chinese restaurant, a popular steak house called The Black Stump, or it was pizza night, which meant either a local pizza joint, or, if we were happy for a drive, to Pizza Hut.

For parents who hated the 9-5 routine and were definitely unconventional and spontaneous, it’s surprising to me now to think that they’d always order the same few pizzas: Pepperoni, ‘Marinara’ (seafood), ‘Supreme’ (with ‘the works), and Capricciosa pizza, one of the most popular pizzas in Australia at the time, along with the ‘Hawaiian’ (ham and pineapple!). I had to try a capricciosa pizza as a pasta!

Now let me share a few tips to making this capricciosa pasta recipe for mushroom, artichoke, olive and ham fusilli.

Tips to Making this Capricciosa Pasta Recipe for Mushroom, Artichoke, Olive and Ham Fusilli

I only have a few tips to making this capricciosa pasta recipe for mushroom, artichoke, olive and ham fusilli, as it’s an easy recipe that comes together quickly and is super versatile.

The pasta is also made with a couple of pantry items that you can keep on hand, such as black olives and canned or jarred artichoke hearts. I’ve used shaved sandwich ham, but you could use any kind of ham or even bacon.

I recommend using large fusilli or any kind of spiral pasta for your capricciosa pasta for even more texture than the dish already has. If you’re using cream it clings to the surface of the spirals deliciously, helped along by some pasta water.

Add the pasta to the pot of salted water as soon as it boils and only cook the pasta until it’s al dente, as it will soften a little when combined with the sauce in the pan. Follow your packet instructions but it should only take around 12-14 minutes so will be ready around Step 3.

Make sure to heat the olive oil in a deep frying pan until it’s hot and shimmering. Only fry the mushroom slices for a few minutes to ensure they’re glossy and still meaty. I mostly use white button mushrooms, but I tried some brown button mushrooms this time, which had a nuttier and earthier flavour.

The pitted black olives, shredded ham and artichoke hearts don’t need cooking as such, they just need to be warmed up. You can add them all at once just fry for them for a few minutes. (If you’re a lover of black olives, also try our tuna, black olive and walnut dip recipe.)

If, like me, you like to let your capricciosa pasta ingredients shine and you’re skipping the cream, season it, add the fusilli, along with a little pasta water, add the grated Parmigiano Reggiano and black pepper, stir to mix them through, taste, and adjust the seasoning if needed, and you’re ready to serve it.

I prefer using Parmigiano Reggiano or even Grana Padano or Pecorino Romano. While it’s more expensive than the fine supermarket ‘Parmesan’, you should find that with the real stuff less is more, as it has much more flavour. But obviously use whichever kind of Parmesan you prefer.

If you’re like my mum and prefer your pastas rich and creamy, pour in the thickened cream: 50 ml cream will give you the pasta pictured, 100ml will give you a light creamy coating, but for an ultra rich and creamy pasta, add 200 ml thickened cream.

Add the salt, stir to incorporate. Use a big slotted spoon to transfer the fusilli to the pan, taking a little pasta with it water, shower plenty of grated parmesan and grind on some cracked black pepper, then stir to incorporate, try the pasta again, and adjust the seasoning to suit your taste.

Serve your capricciosa pasta immediately. Distribute the pasta between four plates – or two plates for enough leftovers for another meal. Drizzle on some extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle on more parmesan, grind on a little cracked black pepper, and serve with a side salad and crusty bread.

Capricciosa Pasta Recipe for Mushroom, Artichoke, Olive and Ham Fusilli

Capricciosa Pasta Recipe for Mushroom, Artichoke, Olive and Ham Fusilli

AuthorLara Dunston

This capricciosa pasta recipe for mushroom, artichoke, olive and ham fusilli makes a quick and easy pasta inspired by the capricciosa pizza invented in Rome. Featuring the key ingredients of the old-school pizza minus tomato sauce, my capricciosa pasta recipe calls for extra virgin olive oil, although cream makes a deliciously rich pasta. Sprinkle liberally with Parmesan and black pepper.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course First Course, Main Course, Pasta Course

Cuisine Italian-Australian

Servings made with recipeServings 4

Calories 654 kcal

Equipment

Saucepan Pot

Stock Pot

Slotted Spoon

Ingredients

 

MetricUS Customary

 

1x2x3x

• 400 g fusilli pasta - or other spiral pasta of your choice
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 200 g button mushrooms - white or brown, sliced
• ½ cup black olives - pitted, sliced in half
• 150 g ham - shave and torn into smaller pieces
• 150 g artichoke hearts - jarred or canned, sliced into quarters
• 50 ml thickened cream - optional, or 100 ml or more for a creamy pasta
• ½ tsp salt - or to taste
• 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese - Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano, grated

Instructions

 

• Put a big pot of salted water on to boil. Once it’s boiled, add the fusilli and stir, put the lid on, and cook until al dente, around 12-14 minutes but follow the packet instructions.
• Heat the olive oil in a deep frying pan (must be deep as you'll transfer the fusilli to the same pan) until the oil is shimmering. Then add the mushroom slices and stir-fry for a few minutes to ensure the mushrooms are coated in olive oil, and continue to fry until they’re glossy but still meaty.
• Add the sliced pitted black olives, stir fry for a couple of minutes, add the shredded ham and artichoke hearts and fry for a few minutes, just to warm them up.
• If you’re using the optional thickened cream, pour it in now; 50 ml cream will give you the pasta pictured, but for a creamier pasta feel free to add another 100-200 ml or more cream. Sprinkle on the salt and stir to incorporate.
• Use a large slotted spoon to transfer the fusilli from the pot to the pan, taking some cooking water with the pasta, add the grated Parmesan and cracked black pepper, stir to mix through, taste, and adjust the seasoning to suit your palate.
• Divide the pasta between four plates – or two plates and you’ll have enough leftovers for another meal. Drizzle on some extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle on a little more parmesan, grind on some more cracked black pepper, and serve immediately, with a side salad and crusty bread.

Notes

For even more flavour add a minced garlic clove or garlic powder or garlic salt with the mushrooms.

Nutrition

Calories: 654kcalCarbohydrates: 79gProtein: 24gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 1209mgPotassium: 511mgFiber: 5gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 275IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 73mgIron: 2mg

Please do let us know if you make this capricciosa pasta recipe for mushroom, artichoke, olive and ham fusilli, as we’d love to know how it turns out for you.