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How to Make Sicilian Tapenade for Your Antipasto Platter

Bring a taste of Sicily to your table with this easy olive and caper tapenade. It's a savory spread that adds instant Mediterranean flair to any antipasto platter or appetizer board.

9:00 AM EDT on October 21, 2025

Bowl of Sicilian tapenade garnished with lemon and parsley beside rustic fig crackers on a wooden board.

Sicilian Tapenade served with fig and seed crackers, ready for your next antipasto platter.

With just a handful of pantry staples, you can learn how to make a spread that instantly elevates any antipasto platter. Briny, bold, and unmistakably Mediterranean, this Sicilian tapenade captures the essence of Sicily in one vibrant bite. It’s the kind of simple, sun-soaked recipe that transforms a cracker, crostini, or grilled fish into something unforgettable. Make it once, and you’ll start finding excuses to serve it again and again.

Sicilian Tapenade

Sicilian Tapenade

Recipe by Low Country Bella
0.0 from 0 votes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup 1 green Castelvetrano olives, pitted

  • 1/2 cup 1/2 Kalamata or black olives, pitted

  • 2 tbsp 2 capers, rinsed

  • 2 2 anchovy fillets

  • 1/3 cup 1/3 roasted red peppers, chopped

  • 2 2 small garlic cloves, chopped

  • 2 tbsp 2 fresh parsley, chopped

  • 1 tsp 1 Sicilian oregano (regular oregano will also work)

  • Zest Zest of 1/2 lemon

  • 2 tbsp 2 fresh lemon juice

  • 1/2 tsp 1/2 crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

  • 1/4 cup 1/4 extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

Directions

  • In a food processor, combine the olives, capers, anchovies, roasted red pepper, garlic, parsley,
    oregano, lemon zest, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes.
  • Pulse several times until the mixture is finely chopped but still textured.
  • With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil until the tapenade comes together into a thick, spreadable paste.
  • Taste and adjust, add more lemon juice for brightness or olive oil for a silkier texture.
  • Spoon into a jar and drizzle the top with a bit more olive oil. Keeps in the fridge for up to one week.
  • Serve with good hearty crackers, crostini, or over grilled fish.

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