Fried Stuffed Olives (Olive all'Ascolana)
Large green olives from the Marche region, pitted in one spiral cut, stuffed with a rich seasoned meat filling, then breaded and fried until deep golden. Crisp outside, savoury and juicy inside — one of Italy's best bar snacks.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Cook the meat filling
Heat the olive oil in a pan and cook the onion over low heat until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the pork and beef and cook, breaking up any lumps, until no longer pink. Pour in the white wine and let it bubble for a minute until the smell of raw alcohol is gone.
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 40 g onion
- 100 g ground pork
- 100 g ground beef
- 60 ml white wine
✅ Done when: the meat is fully cooked through with no pink left, and the wine has mostly evaporated
Chop and season
Let the meat cool slightly, then chop it very finely with a knife (or pulse briefly in a food processor) until almost paste-like — this is what makes the filling pack smoothly into the olives. Mix in the , egg, Parmesan, nutmeg, cinnamon, parsley, salt and pepper until you have a soft, well-bound paste.
- 50 g
- 1 egg
- 30 g Parmesan
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 1 pinch cinnamon
- 2 tbsp parsley
- to taste salt and pepper
✅ Done when: the mixture is smooth, well combined and holds together when pressed between two fingers
Pit the olives whole
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Stuff and reshape
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Bread the olives
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Deep-fry until golden
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Cook the meat filling
Heat the olive oil in a pan and cook the onion over low heat until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the pork and beef and cook, breaking up any lumps, until no longer pink. Pour in the white wine and let it bubble for a minute until the smell of raw alcohol is gone.
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 40 g onion
- 100 g ground pork
- 100 g ground beef
- 60 ml white wine
✅ Done when: the meat is fully cooked through with no pink left, and the wine has mostly evaporated
Chop and season
Let the meat cool slightly, then chop it very finely with a knife (or pulse briefly in a food processor) until almost paste-like — this is what makes the filling pack smoothly into the olives. Mix in the , egg, Parmesan, nutmeg, cinnamon, parsley, salt and pepper until you have a soft, well-bound paste.
- 50 g
- 1 egg
- 30 g Parmesan
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 1 pinch cinnamon
- 2 tbsp parsley
- to taste salt and pepper
✅ Done when: the mixture is smooth, well combined and holds together when pressed between two fingers
Pit the olives whole
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Stuff and reshape
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Bread the olives
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Deep-fry until golden
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
The Story Behind the Dish
This dish takes its name from Ascoli Piceno, a town in the Marche region famous for growing large, tender green olives in the surrounding countryside. Cooks there found an ingenious way to stretch a little meat a long way: pitting the olives whole, filling them with a finely chopped mix of meats, then breading and frying them, turning a humble olive into a rich little mouthful.
For generations the dish was reserved for feast days and special occasions, since meat and deep-frying in oil were both costly. Today it is served everywhere in Marche, from family tables to Ascoli's historic cafés, often alongside other fried snacks on a mixed fritto misto platter.
⭐ Why It's Famous
The contrast of briny olive, savoury meat filling and crisp golden crust makes it one of Italy's most loved fried snacks, and the official symbol of Ascoli Piceno's cuisine.
💡 Fun Fact
The olive used for this dish, the Ascolana tenera, carries Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, recognising it as a true product of the Marche region.
Ascoli Piceno, Marche
42.85°N, 13.57°E
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