Pasta Pearls and Olive Salad

½ pound acini di pepe pasta

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, quartered

salt and ground black pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a rolling boil; cook the acini di pepe in the boiling water until cooked through yet firm to the bite, about 9 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

While the pasta cooks, melt the butter with the olive oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Once the foam subsides, cook and stir the garlic and red pepper flakes in the butter mixture until the garlic is golden brown, about 2 minutes; remove from heat and stir the olives in with the garlic mixture. Transfer to bowl with the pasta and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to serve.