Paesana Family Recipes

Castelvetrano Olive Tapenade

Ask anyone who fancies themselves a home cook—it’s never too early to start planning the Thanksgiving menu. Sure, certain foods are a given on turkey day. Such as, well, turkey. There’s also stuffing, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, sweet potato, and so much more. In an Italian-American household on Thanksgiving, you can also count on lasagna or baked ziti making an appearance during one of the preliminary courses. They don’t call it a bountiful feast for nothing!

But the family feasting on Thanksgiving usually starts well before anyone sits down at the table. In these moments of picking and snacking, why not treat your family and friends to something other than a bowl of chips? Here, we present Castelvetrano Olive Tapenade on crostini—a taste of the Italian countryside that’s oh-so easy to make at home with Paesana. Just wait until you see how quickly these ingredients come together for a memorable appetizer

Yield: 1-½ cups

Ingredients for the Tapenade:

  • 1 cup Paesana Castelvetrano Pitted Olives
  • 2 tablespoons Paesana Capers, drained
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon fresh lemon zest, grated
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon mustard seed
  • ¼ teaspoon celery salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Ingredients for the Crostini:

  • 1 loaf Italian bread (semolina or any Italian bread)
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt
  • Parmigiano-Reggiano, shaved
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Directions for the Tapenade
1
Retrieve your food processor from the back of your kitchen cabinet. Yes, we’re starting with this simple task because this recipe is that easy! You can also use a blender if that’s what you’ve got. And hand chop if you want to—but that will take a lot of time!
2
Add all of the ingredients for the tapenade into the food processor. Secure the lid and process until the mixture is finely diced and spreadable. Feel free to drizzle in more olive oil if you feel its too dry.
3
Set the mixture aside at room temperature if you plan to serve immediately. Otherwise, refrigerate and remove to let stand at room temperature 10 minutes before serving.
Directions for the Crostini
1
Preheat your oven to 400-degrees.
2
Slice the loaf of Italian bread into manageable pieces. Add the bread to a sheet pan or baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Toss the bread pieces to distribute the oil and salt evenly, then arrange into one layer.
3
Bake for 8 or 10 minutes until golden brown. Watch closely so the bread doesn’t burn!
4
Time to serve! Either place all the bread onto a platter with the tapenade in a bowl on the side for your guests to spread themselves or spread beforehand and top with a shaving of Parmigiano-Reggiano.