Green And Black Olive Tapenades

Olive spreads are a tasty and versatile way to use the many types of olives available at DeLallo. Though there is no single word in Italian for an olive paste, they are used often Italian cuisine: from crostini and paninis to sauces and salad dressings. Check out our ideas for loving on your favorite olives and learn how to pit an olive to create your own olive tapenade.

If you love olives, you’ve certainly experimented with them in the kitchen. They’re more than just antipasti. Olives boast unique and often intense flavors that make them an incredible addition to a number of kitchen recipes. Just some flavors you might experience while enjoying an olive: bold, bright, briny, tangy, tart, salty, citrusy, smoky, buttery, piquant… the list is endless. For example, if you like a mild and buttery olive, the green Castelvetrano olive just might be your favorite. (The Castelvetrano is so good that it’s known as the beginner olive. You just might fall in love!) If you’re into a big intense flavor with a tangy, briny bite, the purple-hued Greek Calamata might be your olive. All of these flavors can be captured in an olive tapenade.

Recipe: Calamata Olive Tapenade Grilled Cheese with Tomato & Spinach

The Origins of Olive Tapenade

Though it used to describe a mashed up spread of bold and briny olives (from the U.S., the Mediterranean and beyond,) the word “tapenade” is American. Believe it or not, there is no specific word in Italy for an olive spread or paste, but it’s definitely a part of Italian cuisine. In Italy, black and green olive spreads are used to top crostini toasts, brighten Italian paninis, liven up sauces and salad dressings. These tapenades are commonly prepared with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, capers, fresh herbs and spices. They are often served with creamy cheeses like goat cheese and fresh mozzarella alongside garden tomatoes.

The olive spread as we know it today is a concept that originated in Provence, France—a southern region close to Liguria, Italy. It consists of black olives (often Picholine), extra virgin olive oil, capers and anchovies. The only variation is the use of herbes de Provençe, a famously French mix of dried herbs. That said, olive spreads have evolved since then, and you can create a tapenade in many ways and with many ingredients.

How to Make Olive Tapenade

The hardest part about creating your own olive spread is prepping the olives themselves. There is a special tool that makes it easier, but if you don’t have the olive pitting tool, you can use the flat side of a large knife to flatten the olives—the way you would crush a clove of garlic—then, patiently remove the meat of the olive from around the pit. Check out our guide on How to Pit an Olive for help. From there, it’s smooth sailing. Simple add your olives and all of your tapenade ingredients into a food processor and chop to combine. We recommend adding the oil last and a little bit at a time so that you can better reach your desired consistency.

How to Use Olive Tapenade

Most olive spreads can be kept for a fair amount of time in the refrigerator in a sealed glass jar. Remember to keep it coated with oil (add a little to the top) to create a kind of seal that will keep the spread fresh. They are great to have on-hand for serving (talk about easy entertainment!) and snacking. Like olives, tapenades are perfect for serving up with specialty cheeses, cured meats, pickled peppers and other antipasti, Focaccia Toasts, crusty bread and the rest of your favorite gourmet goodies.

If you’re looking for more entertaining inspiration with antipasti, check out our Wine, Cheese & Olive Pairings article.