The origin of the name Bagna Cauda, the northern Italian olive oil fondue dish, means “wet or warm bath,” which perfectly sums up the dish in a few words.
In my last post I wrote about “pucha” or the cold olive oil and vinegar mixture in which raw vegetables, cold cuts, and bread are dipped into. Simply put, Bagna Cauda is the warm version of “pucha.”
Bagna Cauda has been a family favorite for generations, and passed down from my grandparents to my parents to us kids. This regional dish originates from the Piemonte region (in English, Piedmont) of northern Italy. Back in the day, this dish was traditionally eaten during the winter and by the “working class” such as farmers and field workers, as this dish is hearty and hot to help cope with the cold winters and relatively cheap.
Growing up, we prepared this dish to enjoy during winter, but summer as well. I personally think it works perfect for both. For winter you have the hot olive oil to help warm you up, and for summer you can enjoy the cool crunch of the raw vegetables on a warm summer evening. This is also the perfect family dinner dish as it creates a true family eating experience of sharing and dipping into the one big dish in the middle of the table. Personal plates are merely for piling up and saving all the goodies you want while eating so they don’t run out (if you hesitate eating with a table full of Italians, the food will be gone before you know it!) 😉
Bagna cauda recipes will vary, but I will share my family’s personal recipe, one that we’ve tweaked over the years. It is quite DELICIOUS! The amount of ingredients will depend on the number of people. This recipe below will feed about a family of 5.
You will need the following:
1 ½-2* cups extra virgin olive oil
1 stick butter
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 pack canned anchovies
1 cup sour cream
Assortment of vegetables & bread
Fondu pot & sterno or if you don’t have one, just a regular cooking pot & hot pad
*Olive oil amount varies a bit; if 1 ½ doesn’t look like enough to feed your family, add another ½ cup.
Making the Bagna Cauda:
First, grab a pot.
1. Pour in the extra virgin olive oil. (Remember in the last post we talked about high quality olive oil? Well that isn’t necessary for Bagna Cauda and can be expensive because you are using so much. Just buy a cheap bottle, but still imported from Italy and extra virgin. )
2. Add the butter, chopped garlic, and anchovies to the oil. Do not stir.
3. Heat over medium heat for about 20 minutes. The anchovies should break down, garlic soften, and butter completely melt. Not too high heat as you don’t want to burn the oil; keep at about “3-4” if working on an electric stove.
4. Stir in the sour cream and keep on the heat for a few more minutes.
5. Remove from the heat and transfer to fondu pot or place cooking pot on hot pad in the middle of the table.
The vegetables, bread, & setting the table:
Place dishes of raw vegetables and basket of bread around the fondu pot which is in the very table center. Each person should have a plate and either a regular fork or fondu fork for dipping.
Vegetable recommendations are similar to when eating “pucha.” You can have cold cuts or meat as well, but in my family we mostly stick to a large variety of raw vegetables for Bagna. Below are just suggestions- experiment and try other vegetables too!
| Vegetables | Bread |
| Green onions | Sourdough baguette |
| Fennel (anus) | Rustic Italian baguette |
| Tomatoes | |
| Boiled potatoes | |
| Mushrooms | |
| Broccolini | |
| Radish | |
| Endive | |
| Raddichio | |
| Bell pepper | |
| Artichoke hearts | |
| Avocado | |
| Cauliflower |
Your Bagna Cauda is ready to eat! Make sure to dip in your veg and swirl around, picking up some of the sour cream, garlic, and anchovy mixture. Tip: the bread is used as an oil catcher. Hold the bread in one hand, and as you dip your piece of veg into the oil with your fork, hold it over the bread as you pull it out and move it to your mouth. The oil soaked bread is an extra delicious treat to bite into afterwards!
Dietary restrictions: Being lactose intolerant myself, I will often share some alternative options when making recipes with dairy. Bagna can be made without the butter and I have done so before; it is still very tasty. As for the sour cream, a lactose free version is available at most grocery stores.
Enjoy and Mangia!
Italian word of the day:
Bagnare (v) = to wet, soak or moisten * The “gn” sound is like a long “n” with your tongue against the roof of your mouth. You do not make a hard “g” sound as in the word “great.”