Pressynex
Celebrities

23 Olive Recipes for Bold Dinners, Easy Snacks, and More

| 5 min read
Cooking

23 Olive Recipes for Big-Flavor Dinners and Snacks

Like dirty martini chicken thighs, marinated Castelvetranos with feta, and a pantry pasta that uses the whole jar. Plus, more olive recipes for every occasion.
By Joe Sevier
Goldenbrown chicken thighs in a skillet with green olives onions parsley and lemon wedges.
Photograph by Chelsea Kyle

Whether you keep a jar of emergency Castelvetranos in the fridge, never skip a dirty martini at happy hour, or always have a bowl of marinated olives to snack on while making dinner, there’s an olive recipe below with your name on it.

Whatever your favorite olive variety, the salty, briny little fruits (yep, fruits!) are the backbone of everything from quick pantry pastas to Mediterranean-inspired braises. They’re the punchy, savory kick in your favorite salads and party snacks. And olive brine’s no slouch either. So pour yourself a Dirty Martini Spritz, slap together an olive-and-cream-cheese sandwich, and read on for our favorite olive recipes—some worth sharing, others worth keeping all to yourself.

Jump ahead
  • Marinated crumbles of feta cheese and Castelvetrano olives in a bowl with garlic and red pepper flakes alongside cubes...
    Photo by Heidi's Bridge, styling by Molly Baz
    1/23

    Marinated Olives and Feta

    Warm garlicky olive oil transforms large Castelvetranos or Cerignolas and creamy feta into an effortless olive recipe you’ll want to scoop up with plenty of crusty bread.

    View Recipe
  • Chopped green olives pickled peppers parsley anchovies garlic red pepper flakes and olive oil in a bowl with a spoon.
    Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca
    2/23

    Gilda Salsa

    Turn olives, anchovies, pickled peppers, and parsley into a punchy Basque-inspired salsa that’s just as good on grilled fish as it is with chips or crusty bread.

    View Recipe
  • Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Sean Dooley
    5/23

    Pasta With Feta, Olives, and Raisins

    Sweet golden raisins balance briny Castelvetrano olives and creamy feta in this clever pantry pasta that’s ready in just 25 minutes.

    View Recipe
  • Two bowls of pasta puttanesca on a white table
    Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua
    6/23

    One-Pot Puttanesca

    Pasta cooks right in a tomato-rich broth with olives, capers, and anchovies, soaking up every briny bite in this easy one-pot weeknight dinner.

    View Recipe
  • Spaghetti on white and blue plate
    Photograph by Vanessa Granda, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua
    7/23

    Spaghetti With Eggplant Caponata

    This Sicilian-inspired spaghetti dinner tosses roasted eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, and green olives with a sweet-sour golden raisin agrodolce.

    View Recipe
  • Spicy Tomato and Black Olive Pie sliced into squares on a wooden cutting board.
    Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Nicole Louie
    8/23

    Spicy Tomato and Black Olive Grandma Pie

    This speedy grandma pie skips the long rise but still delivers a crisp, focaccia-like crust topped with spicy tomato sauce and wrinkly salt-cured black olives.

    View Recipe
  • Lemony Pasta Salad With Crisped Capers on plate
    Photograph by Heami Lee, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by JoJo Li
    9/23

    Lemony Pasta Salad With Crisped Capers

    Smashed Castelvetrano olives, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon, parsley, and crispy capers make this chilled mayo-free pasta salad extra briny.

    View Recipe
  • Orzo With Chickpeas in a white bowl placed on top of a multicolored pastel surface
    Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Taneka Morris, prop styling by Gerri Williams
    10/23

    One-Pot Pantry Orzo With Chickpeas

    An entire jar of green olives, an entire jar of capers, and a can of chickpeas give this one-pot pasta tons of texture and big flavor with very little weeknight effort.

    View Recipe
  • Fougasse with oil being poured onto it
    Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones and Thu Buser, prop styling by Sean Dooley
    11/23

    No-Knead Fougasse

    Studded with green olives, rosemary, and lemon zest, this no-knead French bread looks bakery-worthy but comes together with surprisingly little effort.

    View Recipe
  • Chicken and Rice With Olive Gremolata in a dutch oven on a red fabric surface
    Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pearl Jones and Thu Buser, prop styling by Sean Dooley
    12/23

    One-Pot Chicken and Rice With Olive Gremolata

    Tender chicken legs and schmaltzy rice simmer together in one pot, then get a bright finish from a punchy relish of chopped green olives, parsley, and garlic, dressed with sherry vinegar and olive oil.

    View Recipe
  • Swordfish Steaks with OlivePistachio Sauce and Potatoes
    Photo by Chelsie Craig, styling by Judy Mancini
    17/23

    Swordfish Steaks With Olive-Pistachio Sauce and Potatoes

    A bright, briny olive-pistachio sauce turns roasted swordfish into an elegant dinner, while buttery potatoes make it hearty enough for company.

    View Recipe
  • Image may contain Bowl Plant Food Dish Meal Produce and Curry
    Photograph by Maya Visnyei, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua
    18/23

    Mushroom Piccata

    Castelvetrano olives, capers, butter, and lemon turn deeply browned mushrooms into a bright vegetarian take on classic chicken piccata.

    View Recipe
  • Tuna Nicoise Salad on a green and white plate
    Photograph by Travis Rainey, Prop Styling by Alexandra Massillon, Food Styling by Luciana Lamboy
    21/23

    Tuna Niçoise Salad

    Named for the city of Nice, this French favorite traditionally features the town’s namesake tiny but robustly flavored Niçoise olives alongside jammy eggs, tuna, and crisp vegetables.

    View Recipe
  • Broken up oilpacked sardines in a bowl with chopped preserved lemons Persian cucumbers cherry tomatoes red onions mixed...
    Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, Prop Styling by Emma Ringness
    22/23

    Chopped Salad With Sardines and Preserved Lemon

    Briny olives, preserved lemon, crisp vegetables, and tinned sardines come together in a protein-packed chopped salad that’s ready in 20 minutes.

    View Recipe
Joe joined the Bon Appétit team in 2022 after climbing the editorial ranks for a few years at Condé Nast’s other food publication, Epicurious. As the senior SEO editor, he works to make sure Google loves all of BA’s cooking stories just as much as you do. Look for his ... Read More
Senior SEO Editor, Cooking
Explore Bon AppétitWeeknight MealsEntertainingOliveMediterraneanItalianDinnerSnack