Top 5 Recipes You Can Try With Castelvetrano Olives

Have you ever tried using Castelvetrano olives in your recipes? Olives of any kind, especially ones you get from an authentic Italian grocery store, can elevate the taste profile of your recipes. It can turn simplistic dishes into gourmet cuisine fit for a luxurious experience.

However, it is important to understand the flavor profile of different olives and to procure them from an authentic store if not straight from the Italy market. Castelvetrano olives are hard to get right, and different olives grown in various conditions can have distinct tastes.

The following sections will take you through some recipes you can try with Castelvetrano olives and some information you need to know before you work with the olives.

What Are Castelvetrano Olives?

Authentic Castelvetrano olives displayed at an Italian grocery store are usually sourced from Sicily. This location produces the best, vibrant green, rich Castelvetrano olives with a buttery and crispy texture.

These olives are a bit mild and fruity in flavor, which means they are perfect for people who don’t prefer strong varieties.

Although Castelvetrano olives aren’t cured, the process that brings them to your table isn’t that simple. They still need to be harvested young and washed in lye and water for some weeks to remove the bitter flavor.

Moreover, they are also grown in the Belice Valley in Sicily and imported. This makes the olives rare and hard to find.

Why The Fuss?

Why do people love Castelvetrano olives? Why do they need to be sourced from an authentic Italian grocery store?

Castelvetrano olives are perfectly buttery and one of the mildest olives available in the Italy market. Unlike other olives, these are often incorporated in dishes that can’t handle extremely salty and briny olives. They are also perfect for people who aren’t used to gourmet Italian cuisine.

In short, it is a good way to start your journey in the world of Italian cuisine. You can snack on these olives or sprinkle them on top of a salad without worrying about them overwhelming the other flavors in your dish.

How to Use the Olives?

Here are some ideas if you have a bunch of Castelvetrano olives lying around;

• Try to add Castelvetrano olives to a charcuterie board (you can create your own) and pair them with strong cheeses, wrap them up in cured meats like prosciutto, or arrange them with some almonds.
• Add them to a salad (you can use any kind of salad) by chopping them up and sprinkling them on top.
• Use them to make authentic Mediterranean hummus bowls.
• Make a spread for a sandwich (consider investing in some bruschetta).
• Sprinkle them on top of a pizza!

Top 5 Recipes for Castelvetrano Olives

1. Olives, Feta, and Bread: A Match Made in Heaven

Here’s a recipe that’s heaven for the taste buds. It combines Castelvetrano olives with Feta Cheese and bread.

Ingredients:

• Pitted Castelvetrano olives, lightly crushed (2 cups)
• Grilled bruschetta (for serving)
• Kosher salt
• Feta cut into large pieces (10 ounces)
• Red pepper flakes (1/2 teaspoon)
• Juice and zest of lemon (1 lemon)
• Shallot sliced (1 shallot)
• Oregano (4-5 sprigs)
• Garlic cloves (6)
• Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil (4 tbsp)

Directions

• Stir the olives, oil, chili flakes, salt, garlic, shallot, lemon juice, and three sprigs of oregano together in a medium skillet for 20 minutes.
• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
• Remove the burnt oregano stems, incorporate the broken feta into the oil, and sprinkle the remaining oregano springs and the zest.
• Serve warm with bread.

2. A Pasta Salad for Picky Eaters

Do you want to taste a salad that gets you to your desired health without tasting bland? Here’s a Greek pasta salad that can get the job done!

Ingredients
Dressing

• Garlic minced (2 cloves)
• Dried oregano (1 tsp)
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (3 tbsp)
• Red wine vinegar (3 tbsp)

Pasta Salad

• Italian pasta (1 pound)
• Italian Castelvetrano olives (1/2 cup)
• Red bell pepper (1, diced)
• Yellow bell pepper (1, diced)
• Red onion (1/2 thinly sliced)
• Persian cucumbers (2 cups, sliced into small cubes)
• Cherry tomatoes (2 cups, halved)
• Dry Feta crumbled (8 ounces)
• Black pepper to taste

Directions:

• Boil some water in a pot and add the pasta. Cook until done, drain, and rinse with cool water to stop cooking. Set aside to cool in a small bowl.
• Start combining all the ingredients for the dressing in a different small bowl and add salt and pepper to taste.
• Get a large bowl and mix the pasta salad ingredients. Toss so they are well combined, and sprinkle the dressing on top. Crumble the Feta cheese on top and gently toss all the ingredients until they are incorporated. Add more salt and pepper if needed.
• Serve at room temperature or cold.

3. Stuffed Pork Loin: A Gourmet Option

Want to incorporate Castelvetrano olives in a gourmet dish? What’s a better option than stuffed pork loin?
Ingredients

• Pork loin roast (2 pounds, boneless)
• Castelvetrano olives (4 ounces, pitted)
• Jumbo Kalamata seasoned olives (7 ounces, pitted)
• Nonpareil Capers (4 ounces, drained)
• Salt (1/2 teaspoon)
• Pepper (per taste)
• Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil (1 tbsp and ½ cup separate)
• Garlic (2 cloves)
• Rosemary leaves (1)
• Sage leaves (1 tsp)
• Thyme leaves (1 tsp)
• Fresh parsley (1 tbsp)

Directions

• Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Slice through two-thirds of the pork, cutting the tenderloin lengthwise. Spread it open and tenderize the meat until it is ½ inch thick. Season it with salt and pepper as per your taste.
• Combine the olives, olive oil, garlic, capers, and herbs in a food processor until all the olives are chopped and incorporated.
• Spread this mixture into the cut side of the pork loin and roll the tenderloin up back into the same shape, and bind it carefully with strings.
• Drizzle some oil over an ovenproof skillet and place the pork roast without damaging its structure. Brown it over high heat and then place it in the oven, baking it till it is cooked through (this may take around 20 minutes).
• Remove it from the oven and place it aside to rest before removing the strings and slicing.

 4. Olives and Fish
If you like fresh salmon, you will love this recipe. It incorporates these perfect, sweet olives into grilled salmon, raising the entire dish's flavor profile.

Ingredients

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (4 tbsp)
• Lemon juice (3 tbsp)
• Salmon fillets (4 6-ounce pieces)
• Fresh parsley (1/4 cup, chopped)
• Pitted Castelvetrano olives (5-6 ounces)
• Salt (1 tsp)
• Honey (1 tbsp)
• One lemon, zested

Directions

• Place the salmon in a baking dish, drizzle with two tablespoons of oil, sprinkle with one teaspoon salt, and marinade for 15 minutes.
• Get a mixing bowl and whisk together the lemon juice, zest of one lemon, honey, 2 tablespoons oil, and one teaspoon of salt. Stir in the olives and parsley and set aside.
• Preheat the grill to medium-high, add the salmon, and grill it till it is cooked through (you can use a food thermometer or simply allow it to grill for 3-4 minutes per side).
• Serve each piece of salmon with the olive dressing on top.

5. Roasted Cauliflower and Olives
Here’s a dish for those who want to transition to a healthy diet!

Ingredients

•  Cauliflower head (1, cut into florets)
• Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil (3 tbsp)
• Salt (1 tsp)
• Pepper (1/2 tsp)
• Raisins (1 cup)
• 1 orange, zested
• Castelvetrano olives (5-6 ounces, pitted)
• Pine nuts (2 ounces, roasted)

Directions

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Start by adding parchment paper to a baking sheet and setting it aside.
• Combine the cauliflower florets, salt, pepper, and two tablespoons of oil in a large bowl. Toss them together and then line up the florets onto the baking sheet. Put them in the oven and bake them for 15 minutes.
• While baking, use the same bowl to combine 1 tablespoon of oil, raisins, and olives.
• Stir the cauliflower and add the olive mix on top. Put them back in the oven and bake them for 15 more minutes until they are light golden.
• Remove from the oven and sprinkle pine nuts and orange zest on top. Transfer to another dish and serve hot.

How to Choose the Right Castelvetrano Olives?
Here are some tips for people shopping for Castelvetrano olives;

• Find an authentic Italian grocery store for your Castelvetrano olives, and skip the rest of the tips! An authentic store can allow you to rest easy knowing your olives have been sourced from the right place.
• Look for olives that are vibrant in color. Castelvetrano olives should be bright green, which shows their freshness and ripeness. Yellow or dull olives have usually become tender and aren’t a great option for many dishes.
• Buy firm olives. Mushy or soft olives are usually over-ripe and should not be considered. If you are shopping at an Italian grocery store, consider holding the olives in your fingers and squeezing them.
• Use your senses to smell the olives. They should not have a strong odor. Instead, they should smell pleasant and appeal to your olfactory senses.
• Fresh olives are usually packed in airtight containers that maintain their freshness.

Pitting Your Castelvetrano Olives
You may wonder how you are supposed to pit your Castelvetrano olives. It isn’t that hard. Here’s a small two-step guide to help you through the process;
1. The first step to pitting any olive is to press it with the flat side of a knife so that the pit is separated from the flesh.
2. Once loose, the pit is easily removable. You only need to squeeze the olive with your fingers or use a tiny spoon to scoop it out.

Preparing the Olives
Once you have pitted them, these olives are ready for use in the kitchen. However, you may wonder how you are supposed to slice or chop them without damaging them or causing them to lose their flavor.

Slice Them
If you want to slice the olives, you can do so on a cooking board with a sharp enough knife to avoid mushing them up. Cut them in thin and even rounds to showcase their color and texture in your salads.

Dice Them
If the recipe calls for an olive stuffing or drizzling, you can cut them into tiny pieces. This allows for tiny bite-sized explosions in your mouth when you are consuming a much larger meal. All you need to do is place the olives onto the same cutting board and cut them unevenly, dicing them until they are tiny.

There’s no one way to prepare the olives. Following the recipe and carefully analyzing what it calls for is important.

Final Thoughts
At Supermarket Italy, you can explore the freshest, authentic Castelvetrano olives and a variety of other authentic Italian ingredients that go well with them. Choose a recipe for the five mentioned above and procure your ingredients today! Your kitchen is waiting…