Italian Marinated Olives
Olives are one of those foods people don’t feel neutral about. You either pick around them like they’ve personally offended you, or you stand near the bowl and quietly eat half before anyone else arrives. I’ll let you guess which camp I’m in.
These Italian marinated olives are olives with attitude—warmed with olive oil, garlic, citrus zest, fresh herbs, and a little red pepper. They need only about 20 minutes to mingle, although they’re even better after an hour or two. And whatever you do, don’t toss the citrusy herb oil. That’s what the bread is for.
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Why You’ll Love This
Ready in 25 minutes. Most of that time is simply letting the olives soak up all that flavor.
Easy to make ahead. They’re even better after resting for an hour or two.
Big flavor, very little work. A handful of ingredients turns ordinary olives into a proper appetizer.
The oil is part of the plan. Serve warm bread alongside for dipping—wasting it would be irresponsible.
Prep time: 5 minutes | Rest time: 20 minutes | Total time: 25 minutes | Serves: 6–8 | Course: Appetizer
Ingredients
2 cups mixed olives, such as Castelvetrano and Kalamata
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon orange or lemon zest
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary or thyme, chopped
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
How to Make It
Warm the olive oil. Add the olive oil to a small skillet and heat gently over low heat. Don’t let it smoke.
Add the garlic. Stir in the sliced garlic and cook for about 1 minute, just until fragrant.
Remove from the heat. Take the skillet off the burner before adding the remaining ingredients.
Add the olives and seasonings. Stir in the olives, citrus zest, fresh herbs, red pepper flakes, and cracked black pepper.
Let them rest. Leave the olives at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before serving so the flavors have time to mingle.
Pro Tips & Notes
Use a good olive oil. Since the oil becomes part of the finished appetizer—and hopefully gets soaked up with bread—this is a good place to use one you really like. Queen Creek Olive Mill olive oil would be a perfect Arizona choice.
Serve at room temperature. If you make them ahead, refrigerate them for up to 3 days, then let them sit out before serving and give them a good stir. The oil may firm up slightly when chilled.
Try two flavor combinations. Orange zest with rosemary is warm and savory; lemon zest with thyme is brighter and lighter.
What to Serve With It
Serve these olives with warm, crusty bread for soaking up the citrusy herb oil. They’re also perfect on a simple charcuterie board with cheese, salami, crackers, and a few fresh grapes.
For an easy Italian-inspired spread, add one or two of these:
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