Olives and the oil pressed from them have a very distinctive taste, which does not suit everyone. Many cuisine experts say that these flavors need to mature to appreciate them. But we have a different theory – add them to the right dishes! A little olive oil can be fantastic for bringing out and highlighting the flavor of most dishes, and olives will be an interesting and distinctive accent in seemingly bland dishes. See what you should add olive oil and olives in your kitchen
Pasta
Italian cuisine is based on olive oil and many Italian dishes gain a new dimension with good quality extra virgin oil. Oil even acts as a sauce, in pasta dishes such as aglio olio e peperoncino. The aroma of garlic and olive oil and the spiciness of the peperoncino pepper create a unique composition that, with the addition of a little salty Parmesan cheese, is a full-fledged and very tasty dish. Other pastas, even the classic spaghetti bolognese with the addition of olive oil will gain distinctiveness and become more Italian
Pasta is such a graceful dish that with any additions you can conjure up a delicious and quite exquisite dish with it. If you don’t have anything specific in your fridge, but only leftovers of products that are rarely used, such as sun-dried tomatoes, pesto or green olives, from their combination you can create a delicious dish for lunch or dinner
Pizza
In Poland, pizza is eaten with many toppings, and it is topped with ketchup, garlic or Thousand Island sauce. For Italians, it is a crime and a desecration of their national dish. A real Italian pizza has only a few (usually up to three) toppings and under no circumstances should it be topped with sauce. Its taste is emphasized by olive oil. As a pizza topping, it can be flavoured with, for example, garlic, basil or hot bell pepper. The rich flavor of the oil accentuates the toppings and moistens the dough, which is much tastier when fat is added
Greek salad
Greece is famous for its delicious olives. It is where the best quality and tastiest varieties of olives grow. Greek salad, as the name suggests, contains everything that Greece has the best of – tomatoes, cucumbers, crumbled feta cheese, sliced red onions and kalamata olives. This salad doesn’t need any dressing, its flavor can be accentuated by possibly Greek olive oil, the taste of which is slightly different from the Italian variety.
Hummus
This delicious and very healthy chickpea paste is an increasingly popular snack among Poles. You can prepare it at home in a very easy and cheap way. You just need chickpeas, soaked and cooked or already prepared from a jar, some sesame paste – tahini, lemon juice and olive oil. After blending the ingredients to a smooth paste, you can serve ready hummus with vegetables, for example carrots or celery, and pita bread or garlic croutons. You can also add tomato paste, smoked paprika or garlic to hummus to modify its taste a bit. Hummus in a bowl should be poured with olive oil, so that it does not dry out
Olive oil and olives themselves have many uses in cooking. Olives, especially when stuffed with anchovies or almonds, can be a delicious and very elegant addition to a charcuterie and cheese board. Olive oil, on the other hand, whether for sautéing pasta toppings or as a sauce for pizza or salad, is a great way to bring out the flavor of a dish. Don’t be afraid to experiment and use these ingredients in your cooking
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