Olive all'Ascolana

At Trattoria Papa Re in Trastavere

Olive all'Ascolana are not a Roman thing per se so it was a surprise to see them at my lunch pick today in Trastevere.

Olive all'Ascolana are from a mostly ignored Italian region called Le Marche. That region is however known for its at truffles this time of year and their fish stews (Brodetto).

The way I learned Ascolana Olives was with finely minced roasted chicken and sometimes ham, but you can fill them with any leftover meat. These were unidentifiable but super tasty nonetheless, I asked the waitress with my limited Italian “Che questo carne ripieno?” which I think is caveman speak for “What. meat. that.” she said “Mista” which means “mixed”. We were both satisfied that the exchange could go no further.