Kalamata Olive Tapenade Pizza is one powerful umami kick to the mouth, with deep, rich tapenade, orange zest, red onion, feta cheese, and a garnish of parsley to brighten it up in both color and flavor. Close your eyes and you'll feel the salt spray of the Mediterranean.
If you don't have time to make your own tapenade, feel free to skip that step and use your favorite jarred version instead. However, if you can, grab your food processor and try your hand at this super-easy all-purpose sauce. Not only will you be equipped to make all the olive tapenade pizza creations of your dreams, but you can also use it in sandwiches and lots of other recipes.
The Kalamata olive tapenade recipe below makes about 1½ cups, which is way more than you actually need. Thankfully, it freezes well, and there are tons of ways to use it in your everyday cooking. Add it to a simple vinaigrette; mix it with mayo for a delicious sandwich spread or dipping sauce; spread it on toast or pieces of baguette; use it as a seasoning/marinade for roasted or grilled vegetables, fish, chicken, or steak; add it to omelets; or toss it with pasta for the easiest dinner ever.
Interested in more olive pizzas? Try these, too:
- Genoa Salami Pizza with Green Olives
- Moroccan-Inspired Preserved Lemon and Olive Pizza with Saffron Cream
- Pepper, Olive, and Manchego Pizza
Kalamata Tapenade Pizza with Red Onion
Equipment
- Cutting board and knife
- Food processor
- Rolling pin (optional)
- Large rimmed baking sheet or baking stone/steel
- Pizza peel (optional)
Ingredients
For the Kalamata Olive Tapenade
- 2 cups pitted Kalamata olives
- 2 anchovy fillets (packed in oil)
- 1 large garlic clove, pressed or chopped
- ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves (packed)
- 1 tablespoon drained capers
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the pizza
- 1 (14- to 16-ounce) ball pizza dough
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
- ½ small red onion, very thinly sliced
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ¼ cup heavy cream, divided
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Coarse or flaked sea salt
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 500°F (if using a baking sheet) or as high as it will go (if using a baking stone/steel; place the stone/steel in the bottom third of the oven before you start preheating). Let the oven preheat for at least 30 minutes. Then, if you’re using a baking stone or steel, switch the oven to Broil on high.
- To make the tapenade: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the olives, anchovies, garlic, ¼ cup parsley, capers, orange juice, thyme, and olive oil. Process until smooth, taste, and season with a few grinds of black pepper.
- Stretch or roll out your dough to a 12- to 14-inch circle, then transfer it to an oiled or parchment-lined baking sheet or a lightly floured pizza peel (if using a baking stone/steel).
- Spoon about ½ cup of the tapenade onto the dough and spread it out evenly, leaving a ½-inch border of dough all around. Sprinkle the orange zest evenly on top of the tapenade, then add the onion slices and feta. Finally, drizzle half of the cream in a zigzag pattern over all.
- Transfer the pizza to the oven and bake until the crust is golden and the cheese has browned in spots—8 to 10 minutes on the baking sheet, 6 to 8 minutes on the baking stone/steel.
- Remove the pizza from the oven and immediately drizzle the remaining cream over top. Let it rest for 5 minutes, then finish with a drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of salt, and the chopped parsley; slice and serve.
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