Ficacci Black Olives Abruzzese, 150g

Ficacci Pitted Black Olives Typical Abruzzese Recipe are naturally aged Leccino olives from Abruzzo, dressed in the robust flavours of central Italian cooking: garlic, onion, chilli pepper and basil. The Leccino is one of Italy's most prized olive varieties - small, smooth-skinned and mild when green, but left to ripen to a deep purplish-black they develop a soft, buttery character with a gentle savouriness that carries the bold Abruzzese seasoning beautifully. Ficacci, a three-generation family business based at Castel Madama near Rome, has been preparing Italian table olives using traditional methods since 1964.

These are a proper snacking olive, open the lid and eat. They're at their best as part of an antipasti spread alongside cured meats, good cheese and some bread, or served with a glass of something cold before dinner. The garlic, chilli and basil seasoning also makes them an excellent pasta olive: roughly chop and stir through linguine or spaghetti with a little olive oil and some capers for a quick version of a puttanesca, or scatter over a pizza just before it comes out of the oven.

Recipes to try using this ingredient:

• Pinsa Romana with Sprouting Broccoli, Ricotta and Olives

Why we love it:

• Leccino olives from Abruzzo - a cultivar known for its mild, buttery flavour and thin skin, naturally ripened to black and processed using only water and salt, with no artificial treatments
  
• The Abruzzese seasoning is a genuine regional recipe: garlic, onion, chilli pepper and basil, which is exactly the combination a cook in central Italy would reach for - warming, aromatic and slightly punchy
  
• Made by Ficacci, a three-generation family business from Castel Madama near Rome, who have been aging and preparing Italian table olives since Romeo Ficacci first followed local tradition in 1964
  

How to use:

• Serve straight from the tray as a snacking olive - they are seasoned and ready to eat, so no preparation needed. Let them come to room temperature for 10 minutes first if they've been in the fridge, which brings the flavours forward.
  
• For an antipasti board: arrange the olives alongside sliced salumi, a piece of aged pecorino or Parmigiano, some pickled vegetables and good bread. They hold their own next to strong flavours.
• For a quick pasta: roughly chop a handful of olives and warm through in a pan with two tablespoons of olive oil, a small tin of chopped tomatoes, a tablespoon of capers and a pinch of dried chilli. Toss with 200g of cooked spaghetti and a good grating of Parmesan.
• Scatter over a pizza with anchovies, capers and mozzarella

More information:

• Ficacci Olive Co. (Romeo Ficacci s.r.l.) is a three-generation family business based in Castel Madama, near Rome, Italy, specialising in Italian table olives and antipasti since 1964. Now sold in more than 40 countries
  
• 150g tray with peelable film top and resealable fresh-saver lid. Packed in protective...