Olive Sauce - Salsa Di Oliva

RECIPE BY: Linda's Busy Kitchen

It is written that the olive is a gift from the gods. Certainly no food is more revered than the oil extracted from this ancient fruit that is known today for its health benefits as well as its culinary fame. In this no-cook olive sauce two types of olives, Kalamata and Cerignola, are blended together to make a piquant sauce that is sensational not only on pasta like Pici but on fish, bruschetta, and pizza and mixed into bread dough. The intensity of the flavors allows one to use the sauce sparingly (1/2 cup will sauce about 1/2 pound of pasta) and it will keep for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator if the top is covered with a thin layer of olive oil. If you do not have an olive pitter to remove the pits, use a wide-bottomed jar to smash each olive; this easily removes the pit. Note: If you prefer a hot-tasting olive sauce, add 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes to the sauce. This recipe is from Mangia Pasta by Mary Ann Esposito. ---------- For those of you that don't know Maryanne Esposito, let me introduce you to a marvelous cook, who cooks only "Authentic" Italian food, and it is incredible! I had the priviledge of meeting Maryanne at a woman's luncheon many years ago, and she has her own cooking show on Channel 11 in NH. She and her husband, who is a local doctor, live in the next town from where I used to live and work.

Posted on: Jan 23, 2008