This fabulous Tomato, Arugula, Olive, and Caper No-Cook Pasta Sauce is great over whole wheat spaghetti or zucchini noodles. And everyone who likes arugula is going to enjoy this delicious fresh-tasting sauce! 

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Tomato, Arugula, Olive, and Caper No-Cook Pasta Sauce sauce with spaghetti in square dish

A few years ago I learned about about amazing no-cook pasta sauces you make with juicy garden tomatoes, and this Tomato, Arugula, Olive, and Caper No-Cook Pasta Sauce is one that’s become a favorite at my house! When I found this recipe in an old issue of Bon Appetit Magazine, I immediately planned to try it. I had tomatoes, and twice I bought arugula to make the sauce, and twice I ate the arugula before any sauce got made.

Then when it was approaching the end of the fresh tomato season I bought arugula again and finally made the recipe. I’m a huge fan of this type of no-cook sauce, and this sauce with chopped arugula and a touch of spiciness might be my favorite one yet. 

And even though I love 100% whole wheat Italian spaghetti for this recipe, this delicious no-cook sauce would also be absolutely lovely over briefly sauteed Zucchini Noodles if you’d like to cut the carbs down even more. If you like arugula, get your hands on a few fresh tomatoes before it’s too late, and I promise you’ll love this great summer-into-fall dish.

Tomato, Arugula, Olive, and Caper No-Cook Pasta Sauce process shots collage

How to Make Tomato, Arugula, Olive, and Caper No-Cook Pasta Sauce:

(Scroll down for complete recipe with nutritional information.)

  1. Chopping up the juicy garden-fresh tomatoes!
  2. I used about 2 cups of chopped arugula. 
  3. Slice the Kalamata olives.
  4. I slightly chopped the capers.
  5. When all those ingredients are ready, whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, minced garlic, and red chili flakes.
  6. Combine chopped tomatoes, chopped arugula, sliced olives, and chopped capers in a glass or plastic bowl, then pour over the olive oil mixture.
  7. Let the sauce sit on the counter for an hour (or more!) 
  8. Serve the sauce with cooked spaghetti, sauteed Zucchini Noodles, or another pasta shape of your choice.
  9. You could serve this with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired, but I didn’t think it needed any cheese.

More No-Cook Pasta Sauce for Late-Summer Tomatoes

Tomatoes Basil No-Cook Pasta Sauce 
Tomato, Herb, and Feta No-Cook Pasta Sauce 

Tomato, Arugula, Olive, and Caper No-Cook Pasta Sauce sauce with spaghetti in square dish
Yield: 4 servings

Tomato, Arugula, Olive, and Caper No-Cook Pasta Sauce

Prep Time 20 minutes
Additional Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

If you like arugula and have an abundance of fresh garden tomatoes, make this Tomato, Arugula, Olive, and Caper No-Cook Pasta Sauce!

Ingredients

  • 4 cups chopped ripe tomatoes
  • 2 cups chopped arugula (or more)
  • 15 Kalamata olives without pits, sliced
  •  2 T capers, coarsely chopped
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 T finely minced or pureed garlic
  • 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (more or less to taste, this was just a little spicy

Instructions

  1. Start by chopping up a generous amount of juicy garden-fresh tomatoes!
  2. I used about 2 cups of chopped arugula. I wouldn't mind even more arugula, so if you're a big arugula fan like I am, go for it!
  3. I sliced the Kalamata olives rather than cutting them in half so more olive flavor was distributed through out the dish.
  4. I also slightly chopped the capers for the same reason (and used more capers than the recipe said, because I love capers.)
  5. When all those ingredients are ready, whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, minced garlic, and red chili flakes.
  6. Combine the chopped tomatoes, chopped arugula, sliced olives, and chopped capers in a glass or plastic bowl, then pour over the olive oil mixture.
  7. Let the sauce sit on the counter for an hour (or more!)
  8. Serve the sauce with cooked spaghetti, sauteed Zucchini Noodles, or another pasta shape of your choice.

Notes

I love Garofalo Organic Whole Wheat Italian Spaghetti for this recipe.

Nutritional information is for sauce only and doesn't include pasta or zucchini noodles.

This recipe adapted slightly from Spaghetti with Tomatoes, Arugula, Capers, and Olives by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers in Bon Appetit August 2006. I couldn’t find the recipe online.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 180Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 182mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gProtein: 2g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

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Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This No-Cook Sauce with Tomatoes, Arugula, Olives, and Capers is a great main dish or side dish for phase 2 or 3 of the South Beach Diet, but be sure to use whole wheat spaghetti.  Or you can eat the no-cook sauce with Zucchini Noodles. which would make it South Beach Diet Phase One, low-carb, Whole 30, or Paleo.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Sauces to find more recipes like this one.Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You can also Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

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