Name: Green Olive Tapenade
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 2 cups pitted Castelvetrano olives , divided; 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil , plus extra for serving; 2 tablespoons capers , rinsed; 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh parsley; 3 anchovy fillets; 2 garlic cloves , chopped; 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest plus 2 teaspoons juice; 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme; 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Why This Recipe Works

For a twist on a popular Mediterranean spread that traditionally uses briny black olives and a high ratio of capers to olives—sometimes even including tuna packed in olive oil—we swapped in less briny, more buttery Castelvetrano olives. For ease, we processed the olives in a food processor instead of a traditional mortar and pestle. To achieve the varied textures that result when processing the olives with a mortar and pestle, we pulsed the bulk of the olives, along with olive oil, capers, fresh parsley, anchovies, garlic, lemon zest and juice, and fresh thyme, into a paste, and then we added the remaining olives and gently pulsed the mixture to ensure some larger olive pieces. The resulting mix is pungent, zesty, and slightly briny, with clear olive notes and discernible olive pieces.

Before You Begin

If you cannot find Castelvetrano olives, you can substitute rinsed, unstuffed Manzanilla olives and omit the lemon juice. Use tapenade as a sandwich spread or spread it on small toasts for a quick appetizer.

Instructions

Pulse 1 3⁄4 cups olives, oil, capers, parsley, anchovies, garlic, lemon zest and juice, thyme, and pepper flakes in food processor until olives are finely minced and mixture begins to look like chunky paste, 10 to 12 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

Add remaining 1⁄4 cup olives and pulse until coarsely chopped, about 6 pulses. Transfer to bowl. Serve, drizzled with extra olive oil. (Tapenade can be covered directly with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 3 days.)