Italian Olive Cheese Spread (Printable)

Creamy cheese and olive spread with herbs, ready in 10 minutes for any occasion.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dairy

01 - 7 oz cream cheese, brought to room temperature
02 - 3.5 oz ricotta cheese
03 - 1.75 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese

→ Olives & Vegetables

04 - 3.5 oz mixed Italian olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
05 - 2 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
06 - 1 small garlic clove, minced

→ Herbs & Seasoning

07 - 2 tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped
08 - 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
09 - ½ tsp dried oregano
10 - ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
11 - Salt to taste

→ Garnish

12 - Fresh basil leaves
13 - Drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil

# Steps:

01 - In a medium mixing bowl, blend the cream cheese, ricotta, and Parmesan until smooth and fully incorporated.
02 - Add the chopped olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and minced garlic to the cheese mixture, stirring until evenly distributed.
03 - Mix in the fresh basil, parsley, dried oregano, black pepper, and salt to taste, blending until all components are well combined.
04 - Transfer the spread to a serving bowl and garnish with fresh basil leaves and a light drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
05 - Serve immediately with toasted baguette slices, crackers, or vegetable crudités. For the best flavor, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Ten minutes is all you need, and most of that is chopping olives while snacking on the ones that dont make it into the bowl.
  • The creamy cheese base absorbs every briny, herby flavor and tastes even better after a short rest in the fridge.
02 -
  • Skip the food processor unless you want a gray paste, hand mixing keeps the texture chunky and rustic.
  • Leftovers firm up considerably in the fridge, so let them sit at room temperature for twenty minutes before serving again.
03 -
  • Pit the olives yourself with the flat side of a knife for rough, rustic pieces that look homemade.
  • Use the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar as your finishing drizzle for an extra layer of flavor.

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