Asparagi Gratinati

2 bunches asparagus
1/4 lb. provolone cheese, sliced thin
3 tbsp. freshly grated parmesan cheese
Any of The Spicy Olive’s single varietal EVOOs

Preheat the broiler and bring a pot of salted water to boil. Once boiling, cook the asparagus for about 5 minutes, until they’ve just become bright green and are crisp-tender.

Drain and put in a baking dish. Arrange with the provolone over the stalks, below the heads. Scatter with parmesan and liberally drizzle with EVOO. Season with fresh ground black pepper.

Broil the dish until the cheese starts to melt.

Here, we’ve recommended any of our single varietal EVOOs…use your favorite! Many of our flavored EVOOs could be used as well: Garlic, Wild Mushroom & Sage, Cilantro & Roasted Onion… wonderful possibilities!

Garlic Chicory

1 large bunch chicory
3 tbsp. The Spicy Olive Garlic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
1/4 tsp chili flakes

Bring 12-16 cups of water to boil in a large pot. Add the greens with a thorough pinch of salt and boil for 4 minutes. Drain and squeeze to remove any excess water. Chop coarsely. The result should be 4 cups.

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over moderate heat. Add the garlic and chili and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add the chicory and sauté for 3-4 minutes more.

To really bring out the fragrance and flavor, we have recommended our Garlic Extra Virgin Olive Oil. However, if you’d like to spice this up, our Harissa or Chipotle EVOOs should do the trick!

Potato Pie

2 1/2 lbs. starchy potatoes
3 tbsp. The Spicy Olive Garlic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 c freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 c. milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 lb. smoked mozzarella cheese, cubed
1/4 lb. salami, chopped
3 tbsp. flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 lb. fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced thin
1 c. fluffy breadcrumbs

Cook the potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain and cool so that they can be handled. Peel and mash. Stir in The Spicy Olive Garlic EVOO and parmesan, then add the milk, eggs, smoked mozzarella, salami and parsley. Stir well and season with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Grease a gratin dish with butter or more Garlic EVOO. Spoon half of the mixture into the dish. Cover with mozzarella slices and top with the rest of the potato mixture. Stir additional Garlic EVOO into the breadcrumbs and mix well before sprinkling over the potato pie.

Bake for about 40 minutes until the top is golden and crunchy and the filling is hot and bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Gratin Potatoes with Tomatoes, Olives and Capers

4 large ripe tomatoes (peeled, halved and seeded)
2 lbs. waxy potatoes
2 tbsp. The Spicy Olive Cilantro & Roasted Onion Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 red onions, sliced thin
1 tsp. thyme
1/2 c The Spicy Olive Kalamata Olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 small lemon, sliced super thin
1 1/2 tablespoons capers, rinsed

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F

Chop one of the tomatoes and slice the rest. Drop the potatoes into a large pot of boiling, salted water and cook for 4 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Combine 1.5 tbsp. of The Spicy Olive Cilantro & Roasted Onion Extra Virgin Olive Oil with the onions and thyme in a frying pan. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté over moderately high heat until the onions start to gain color. Arrange these ingredients in an oiled gratin dish. Then toss in the tomato, olives, garlic, half of the lemon and extra sprigs of thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Finish with a drizzle of EVOO.

Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 20 minutes, until the potatoes are very tender.

Bavette con asparagi e mollica

1 c. fluffy breadcrumbs
2 bunches asparagus
.75 lb. bavette (or any long pasta)
.33 c. The Spicy Olive Milanese Gremolata EVOO
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
.25 c flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon, freshly squeezed

To crisp the breadcrumbs, toss into a a dry frying pan on medium heat and stir until crisp and golden. Set aside.

Snap the bottoms off the asparagus and cut diagonally into 2-inch pieces. Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook asparagus for about 3 minutes, until bright green and crisp-tender.

Bring the water back to a boil and cook pasta until al dente.

Meanwhile, combine the oil, garlic and parley in a pan. Cook over low heat for about 3 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant. Stir frequently and add in the asparagus. Continue stirring until the asparagus pieces are well coated.

When the pasta is al dente, add it to the pan with the asparagus, garlic and parsley. Add the lemon juice and just enough water to moisten. Turn the heat up to high and toss the ingredients for another minute. Serve with breadcrumbs scattered on top.

Pesto Pasta Soup

A delicious soup to warm up with this winter

Soup
3 tablespoons The Spicy Olive Tuscan Herb Olive Oil
1/2 cup finely chopped pancetta
4 cloves garlic
1 medium ripe tomato, peeled and chopped
1/2 lb. pound linguini

To make the soup, combine the oil, meat and garlic in a pan. Sauté over medium heat until the fat is running but the garlic hasn’t browned. Stir in tomato and six cups of water. Bring the soup to a boil

Pesto
1.5 c basil leaves
1 clove garlic, chopped coarse
.25 c. The Spicy Olive Tuscan Herb Olive Oil
1.5 tbsp. freshly grated parmesan cheese
1.5 tbsp. freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

To make the pesto, rinse the basil leaves and dry thoroughly. Combine the basil and garlic in a food processor and add 1.5 tablespoons of the oil. Pulse until a slightly chunky sauce forms, adding the rest of the oil. Spoon into a bowl, stir in the cheeses and season with salt. Float a spoonful more of the olive oil on top of the pesto until it is ready to use.

To finish the soup, stir in the linguini while it is boiling and cook until al dente. Remove from the heat, stir in the pesto and serve immediately.

You can make pesto like this ahead of time and store in the refrigerator for weeks. Save the cheese to add immediately before serving, however.

Cheesy Tortelloni with Sauteed Vegetables

1 garlic clove chopped
3/4 lb.  cremini mushrooms, sliced thick
1 lb. mixed summer squash (zucchini and yellow squash), quartered
1/4 cup Wild Mushroom and Sage Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 lb. fresh or frozen cheese tortelloni
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
2 tbsp snipped chives

Bring a large pot of water to boil (drizzle a few drops of olive oil into it to keep pasta from sticking). Heat the Wild Mushroom and Sage Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a deep skillet. Sauté the vegetables and mushrooms over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. Cover and keep warm.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions. Toss the pasta in with the mushrooms and vegetables, then sprinkle with chives and Parmesan.

A Spicy Olive Christmas

We hope you had a very Merry Christmas with your friends and family! And we can’t wait to hear about the ways you used our products to spice up your favorite foods this holiday. Here’s some of what we had…





For the salad, we used Persian Lime Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Pomegranate Quince White Balsamic Vinegar to dress baby field greens topped with feta cheese and pomegranate seeds.




For the main course, we made beef tenderloin, potatoes, and asparagus. The beef tenderloin was marinated with Tuscan Herb and Garlic extra virgin olive oils and rubbed with Bologna  Seasonella Salt Mix. Then it was cooked in the oven at 425F until it reached an internal temperature of 150F.

The potatoes were cubed and sprinkled with 1/4c Tuscan Herb Olive Oil and the Seasonella Sea Salt Blend. After placing the potatoes in the oven for 40 minutes at 425F, they come out browned and with a touch of crispiness.

Finally, the asparagus was coated in Garlic olive oil, sea salt and pepper and roasted in the oven.





This whole meal just needs the Tuscan Herb extra virgin olive oil, Seasonella sea salt blend as well as the Persian Lime extra virgin olive oil and Pomegranate Quince balsamic vinegar for the salad dressing. It was festive and delightful!