Olive Oil Recipes: from Bread Dip to Olive Oil Cake

The best olive oil recipes fall into six categories: dips, dressings, pasta, baked dishes, roasted vegetables, and sweet baked goods (like olive oil cake). This is because olive oil works both raw and heated – provided you match the intensity to the dish. Mild oil for baking and sweet dishes, strong oil for raw dishes and pasta.

In most Dutch kitchens, olive oil is mainly used for frying. This is a shame – because in Southern Italy, Andalusia and Crete, it is just as often a flavoring agent that you only add at the last moment. On this page, we collect our recipes, organized by what you are making, with the appropriate oil for each category.

Which olive oil do you use for which recipe?

The choice is about intensity, not price. An Arbequina (Spanish olive variety with a soft, fruity character) blends nicely into a cake or dressing. A Coratina from Puglia or a Spanish Picual is peppery and bitter – exactly what you want over pasta, soup or beans, but too dominant in a vinaigrette.

Heating is perfectly fine, by the way: good extra virgin olive oil has a smoke point around 190 to 210 °C, more than enough for frying and stir-frying. The Voedingscentrum (Dutch Nutrition Centre) classifies olive oil as a beneficial, unsaturated fat for daily use, and the International Olive Council states that the bitterness and peppery bite of fresh oil are precisely positive characteristics.

1. Bread, dips and appetizers

The simplest way to get to know olive oil: on bread. Here you taste everything, so this is the place for your finest bottle. Our start: bread dip with olive oil and balsamic — five minutes of work, and a classic on every Italian table. Also in this category: bruschetta, focaccia, tapenade, and hummus.

2. Salads and dressings

A dressing is an emulsion: oil and acid held together with the help of mustard or honey. The ratio of three parts oil to one part acid always works. Start with our three basic salad dressing recipes. Choose a mild oil here: bitterness and vinegar clash.

3. Pasta and main courses

With pasta, olive oil is often the sauce itself. The prime example is aglio e olio: four ingredients, where a splash of starchy pasta water binds the oil into a creamy sauce. Also in this category: gambas al ajillo, pasta pomodoro and pan-fried fish.

4. Baking, roasting and grilling

For the oven and pan, use a mild to medium oil – not your most expensive bottle, because some of the fine aromas disappear with heat. Crispy potatoes, roasted vegetables, and marinated chicken benefit more from it than from butter, because olive oil can reach higher temperatures without burning.

5. Sweet: cake, cookies and ice cream

Olive oil replaces butter one-to-one in almost any baked good and keeps cake moist for days longer. Use a mild, fruity oil, otherwise it will be bitter. The fastest way to win new fans: vanilla ice cream with a drizzle of good olive oil and a pinch of sea salt.

How much olive oil do you use per dish?

Allow one tablespoon per person for a dressing, two to three tablespoons for a pasta dish for two, and 100 ml for a sharing platter with bread. For baking, you need less than you think: a thin layer over the bottom is enough because olive oil conducts heat better than butter.

How do you store olive oil after opening?

Dark, cool, and tightly sealed—but not in the refrigerator. Light and oxygen are the enemies; a bottle in a kitchen cabinet next to the hob will deteriorate faster than you think. An opened bottle remains at its best for about three months, so it's better to buy two small bottles than one large one if you use it infrequently.

Frequently asked questions

What can you use olive oil for in recipes?

For dips, dressings, pasta, baking, roasting, grilling and sweet baked goods like cake. Olive oil works both raw and heated, provided you match the intensity to the dish.

Which olive oil is best for cooking?

A mild to medium extra virgin olive oil is best for cooking. It has a smoke point of about 190 to 210 °C and loses less flavor when heated than a fine, fruity top oil.

Can you use olive oil instead of butter?

Yes, in almost any baked good, you can substitute butter one-to-one with mild olive oil. It keeps the baked good moist longer and contains less saturated fat.

How much olive oil do you use in a dressing?

Three parts oil to one part acid, approximately one tablespoon of dressing per person. More makes the salad heavy instead of fresh.

This page is growing: we add new recipes every week. Follow us on Instagram for the latest: @olijfoliemarktnl.