Bagnetto Verde – One of My Favorite Sauces
By Chef Joe Massaglia
Every culture seems to have a type of condiment (or sauce) that accompanies boiled or grilled meats, including beef or chicken. Probably the most famous and well-known sauce is Argentina’s Chimichurri, an uncooked, loose sauce that is usually green but can be red, and made with finely chopped parsley, minced garlic, olive oil, oregano and red wine vinegar.
In Puerto Rican cuisine, Puerto Rican Remoulade, or Wepa Sauce, is a similar type sauce, but the recipe usually starts by making a sofrito, a purée of bell peppers, garlic, and cilantro, then adding mayonnaise, ketchup, spices such as adobo or Cajun seasoning, and cayenne pepper. In addition to serving Wepa with meats and fish, it’s also used as a base for stews as well as beans and rice.
One of my most favorite Italian condiments, which I serve in my restaurant, Eat @ Joe’s, is a spicy sweet-sour green sauce called Bagnetto, which means “little bath (for baby)” in Italian. This sauce has its roots in the tradition of the Piedmontese cuisine of Northern Italy where I grew up. What makes Bagnetto different from either Chimichurri or Wepa is that the main ingredient of the recipe is anchovies.
Traditionally Bagnetto is one of the sauces served with Gran Bollito Misto, a braise or stew that includes seven different cuts of beef or veal, seven “supporting” cuts (usually offal or extremity meats,) seven sauces to go with all of that, plus an array of vegetable side dishes. It also is excellent with lamb, fish or chicken, omelets, or as a topping for crostini. You can even stir it into pasta for a quick and delicious side dish.
In my restaurant I serve Bagnetto Verde, or green sauce, as a spread for the bread served with every dinner. The ingredients include parsley, anchovies, red wine vinegar, bread, hard-cooked eggs, garlic, seasonings and … ketchup! The latter is certainly not traditional, but I’ve found it adds sweetness, body and depth of flavor.
There are many variations of Bagnetto throughout Italy depending on the region (and depending how one’s mother makes it!). For example Bagnetto Genovese is similar, yet it includes green olives and pine nuts in the recipe. And in Bagnetto Rosso, or red sauce, red bell peppers and tomatoes are added.
Here is my Bagnetto Verde recipe for you to try. But remember, in the traditional Italian kitchen things are never measured with measuring cups and spoons. It’s usually a handful of this, a wine glass of that and a pinch of seasoning. I’ve tried my best to include exact measurements, but you can vary them to your taste.
Buon Appetito!
Chef Joe Massaglia’s Bagnetto Verde
- (About 2-2/12 cups)
- About an 8-ounce piece of Italian bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1 generous cup of bread) or an equal quantity of stale sliced day-old bread
- 6 to 8 ounces red wine vinegar
- 2 to 3 bunches fresh parsley, flat-leaf preferred
- One 2-ounce can flat or rolled anchovies
- 2 hard-cooked eggs
- 2 to 3 dried chiles de árbol or to taste
- 2 large garlic cloves
- 3/4 cup ketchup
- About 1-1/4 cups extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Soak bread in red wine vinegar; squeeze out excess vinegar and put bread in the bowl of a food processor. Add remaining ingredients except olive oil and blend until smooth. With food processor running, slowly add olive oil until you get a smooth and creamy consistency. (You may not need all of the olive oil). Season with salt and pepper to taste. This sauce keeps well for up to a week in the refrigerator.
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