Nutmeg Free Castelvetrano Olive Tapenade
This briny, herbaceous spread is the kind of thing you make once and then find yourself putting on absolutely everything. The buttery, mild Castelvetrano olives balance beautifully against the deeper, more intense Kalamata olives, while capers and a splash of apple cider vinegar keep the whole thing bright and punchy. Fresh parsley and thyme lift it out of the ordinary, giving it a garden-fresh quality that dried herbs simply can't match. The whole thing comes together in a food processor with just a few pulses — you're looking for a rough, spreadable texture, not a smooth paste, and that rustic quality is exactly what makes it so good. Warm spices like nutmeg have no place here anyway; this tapenade is all about bold, clean Mediterranean flavors that speak for themselves. Pile it onto crusty bread, spoon it over grilled fish, stir it into pasta, or serve it alongside a cheese board — it genuinely works everywhere. Make a jar ahead of time and keep it in the fridge, because it only gets better as the flavors meld together.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- 1 cup pitted castelvetrano olives
- ½ cup pitted kalamata olives
- 2 tbsp capers, drained and rinsed
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt, or to taste
- 1 tsp lemon zest (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the Castelvetrano olives, Kalamata olives, capers, garlic, parsley, and thyme in the bowl of a food processor.
- 2
Pulse 8–10 times, until the mixture is coarsely chopped and no large olive pieces remain — the texture should be rough and spreadable, not a smooth paste.
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