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We came up with this dish one night when all that was in the fridge was a jar of Turkish zeytin ezmesi (olive paste).  Its texture seemed similar to that of pesto, and the results were note-worthy.  This is not so much a recipe, as it is instructions on how to make this delicious pasta dish.  The dark and delicious olive paste is like a poor man's squid ink, but not without being fierce competition. 

To put this together, simply boil 100 g of whole wheat rigatoni per person in boiling salted water for the amount of time indicated on the package. 

Before you drain the pasta, scoop about 1 cup of cooking water from the pot.  Drain the pasta of its water and transfer back into the pot.  Slowly moisten with about 1/4 cup of the reserved liquid, and stir in about 1/4 cup of Turkish olive paste (zeytin ezmesi).  Stir to combine, adding more liquid or paste to have a nice, smooth sauce, without it being too runny.  Season with red pepper flakes and top with Parmesan or Pecorino for serving. 

You can purchase Zeytin Ezmesi from http://www.tulumba.com/storeitem.asp?ic=FB248408BE874.