Olive allā€™Ascolana ā€” stuffed and fried green olives ā€” a beloved specialty from Marche , Central Italy, and more precisely from Ā  Ā  Ascoli_Piceno, the town that gives them their name.
This recipe dates back to the 1800s, when noble families served them at lavish banquets. Today they are enjoyed everywhere in Italy as a delicious starter, party appetiser, or bite-size finger food.Ā 

Crispy outside, tender and aromatic inside, they are an essential part of the classic ā€œfritto misto allā€™italiana.ā€

The filling traditionally includes ground pork and beef, sometimes enriched with a little chicken for extra flavour.

Traditional Method (Original 19th-Century Style)

If you want to follow tradition, each olive is pitted by hand by cutting a long spiral around the pit with a small knife.
The olive ā€œribbonā€ is then wrapped back around a ball of meat filling, forming a plump, perfectly shaped stuffed olive.

šŸ’” Smart Shortcuts

To make the process easier, you can:

  • pit the olives by cutting them in half and removing the core, or

  • use store-bought pitted olives (a lifesaver on busy days!)

 

Serves 5-6, Preparation time 1 h, Cooking time 30 mins

  • 600 g green olives, pitted or unpitted
  • 200 g lean ground beef
  • 200 g lean ground pork
  • Soffritto (1 onion, 1 carrot, 1/2 celery stalk, finely chopped)
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Peanuts Oil, at least 1 lt for deep-frying
  • 1 glass dry white wine
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 3 eggs (1 yolk + 2 whole eggs)
  • Nutmeg, a pinch
  • 80 g Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
  • breadcrumbs, to taste
  • Plain flour / All-purpose flour, as needed

Method

Traditionally, the meat is sautƩed in pieces and then minced, but using ground meat works perfectly.

Prepare a soffrittoĀ  in 3 tbsp of olive oil.

Add the meats and sautƩ for a few minutes. Pour in the white wine and let it evaporate.

Once the mixture cools, add nutmeg, egg yolk, grated Parmigiano, salt, and pepper, mix well and set aside.

Tip: a touch of lemon zest or a tiny pinch of cloves is allowed in the traditional filling.

Fill each green olive generously with the meat mixture.

Coat each stuffed olive lightly in flour, then in beaten eggs, and inĀ breadcrumbs.

Heat plenty of oil.

Fry the olives in small batches, better no more than 4 at a time, until golden. This keeps the oil temperature high and ensures a perfectly crisp result. The olives should be fully submerged in hot oil.

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