Olive all’ascolana are a typical dish of the territory of Ascoli Piceno. It is now spread throughout Italy, where, unlike in their town of origin, it is generally served as appetizer along with other fried products.

Their name come from the town of Ascoli Piceno. They are pickled green olives stuffed with soft minced meat. They are the most representative dish of the town and the surrounding area. They are often served with other fried food such as puff pastry snacks, meat, fried custard and vegetables (fritto misto all’ascolana consists in fried artichokes, zucchini and lamb chops).

Recipe

Cook the minced meat (pork, beef or even chicken in small amounts) and blend it with white wine and herbs. Add nutmeg, egg yolks and grated Parmesan cheese. Pit the olives, cutting the pulp in spirals. Fill the spirals with the minced meat. After filling, reassemble them in their round shape. Dip them first in the flour, then in the beaten egg and finally in the breadcrumbs. Fry in boiling extra virgin olive oil or peanut oil and serve hot with a few slices of lemon.

PDO – Protected Designation of Origin

In 2005, Olive Ascolane from Piceno territory was awarded with the PDO label (Italian: D.O.P.).