Bagna cauda is northern Italy’s answer to cheese fondue; a hot, garlicky, anchovy-spiked dip that turns raw vegetables and crusty bread into the appetizer you can’t stop eating. The name literally means “hot bath,” and that’s exactly what you’re making: a warm, silky bath of olive oil, butter, garlic, and anchovies that coats everything it touches.
The garlic gets poached in milk first until it’s sweet and mellow, the anchovies dissolve into the oil, adding depth without fishiness, and the butter makes it impossibly smooth. This isn’t complicated, but the technique matters; you’re building flavor slowly, never letting anything bubble or fry. Rush it and you’ll get bitter garlic and broken sauce.
We’ve spent over 15 years testing recipes on this site, and anchovies show up constantly because they’re an umami powerhouse that most people won’t touch. In this recipe, pounding them with poached garlic into a paste, then warming that paste slowly in olive oil before whisking in butter, transforms them completely; they stop being aggressively fishy and become rich, savory, almost sweet from the garlic.
Take your time and you get this: a glossy, golden dip that makes raw radicchio taste like the best thing you’ve eaten all week. It’s the centerpiece of Piedmontese gatherings, where everyone crowds around a pot of this stuff and doesn’t leave until it’s gone.
🔪 Ingredients for Authentic Bagna Cauda
- Garlic cloves: peeled; these get poached to soften and mellow their flavor.
- Whole milk: used for poaching the garlic to take away sharpness and bitterness.
- Anchovy fillets in oil: the backbone of the sauce. Use good-quality anchovies packed in olive oil for the best results.
- Extra virgin olive oil: adds richness and helps carry the flavor.
- Unsalted butter: whisked in at the end for a silky, emulsified finish.
- Fresh vegetables for dipping: classics include carrots, celery, radicchio, cauliflower, Romanesco, endive, bell peppers, and radishes.
- Crusty bread: ideal for soaking up the garlicky-anchovy sauce.
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Mortar and pestle (or small food processor)
- Fine mesh sieve
- Whisk
- Ceramic warmer or fondue pot
📝 Step-by-Step: How to Make Bagna Cauda
- Poach the garlic: Add garlic cloves and milk to a saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer on low until the cloves are fork-tender, 15–20 minutes. Strain and set aside.
- Mash the paste: Transfer garlic and anchovies to a mortar and crush into a smooth paste. (A spoon or food processor works if you don’t have a mortar.)
- Start cold: Add the paste and olive oil to a clean saucepan. Place over low heat and cook gently for 15–20 minutes, stirring often. Do not let it bubble.
- Finish with butter: Whisk in cubed butter, one piece at a time, until the sauce is silky and emulsified.
- Serve warm: Transfer to a fondue pot or ceramic warmer. Serve immediately with raw veggies and bread.
🔄 Substitutions & Variations
- Garlic poach: Use water instead of milk if you want it lighter.
- Herb boost: Stir in chopped parsley or oregano at the end.
- Heat it up: Add a pinch of chili flakes for a subtle kick.
💡 Meat NErd Tips
- Anchovy quality counts: Don’t cheap out. Use good-quality anchovies packed in olive oil. They melt into the sauce and make it sing.
- Test the garlic: It should mash easily with no resistance. Undercooked garlic = gritty sauce.
- Cold start = no scorch: Don’t add paste to hot oil, it burns instantly.
- Keep it warm: Bagna Cauda is best served bubbling away gently in a pot at the table.
- Grill your bread: A little char takes this to another level.
- Reheat gently: Low heat only, whisking constantly.
- Fondue hack: If you don’t own a warmer, set the saucepan on a trivet and serve quickly. The sauce thickens as it cools, so keep a candle warmer or small slow cooker handy.
- Char for depth: Lightly grill your veggies or bread. The smoke with the garlic and anchovy punch is so good.
🍽️ What to Serve with Bagna Cauda
- Fresh vegetables: traditional picks include carrots, celery, radicchio, cauliflower, Romanesco, endive, bell peppers, fennel, and radishes.
- Everyday option: stick with carrots, celery, cauliflower, and bell peppers for a simple platter.
- Crusty bread: perfect for soaking up the garlicky-anchovy sauce; toast or grill it for extra flavor.
- Wine pairing: a crisp Piedmont white (like Gavi or Arneis) or a light red (Dolcetto, Barbera) balances the richness beautifully.
🧊 leftovers & Storage
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. The oil and butter will solidify when chilled.
- Reheat low and slow on the stovetop, whisking constantly. Do not microwave.
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Bagna Cauda Recipe (Classic Italian Garlic–Anchovy Dip)
Ingredients
- 12 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 cup whole milk
- 4 oz anchovy fillets in oil (2 2-ounce tins)
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons butter cubed
- Fresh veggies for dipping carrots, celery, radicchio, cauliflower, Romanesco, endive, bell peppers, and radishes
- Crusty bread for serving
Instructions
- Place the garlic cloves and milk into a saucepan. Bring it to a gentle boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low.
- Cook the garlic, stirring occasionally, until the cloves are tender and easily mashed, about 15-20 minutes.
- Strain the garlic through a fine mesh sieve and wipe the saucepan clean.
- Transfer the garlic and anchovy fillets to a mortar.
- Use the pestle to pound and grind them together into a smooth paste. Add the paste and olive oil to the same saucepan.
- Place the pan over the low heat. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 15-20 minutes, until fragrant. Make sure the mixture never bubbles or fries.
- Add the cubed butter to the sauce, whisking constantly until each piece is melted and fully emulsified before adding the next.
- Transfer to a ceramic warmer or a fondue pot to keep warm and serve with fresh veggies and bread.
Notes
- Garlic prep matters: Poach the garlic until it’s completely soft—if it resists the fork, keep cooking. Smooth garlic = smooth sauce.
- Start cold: Always begin the garlic–anchovy paste with cold oil in the pan. This prevents scorching and keeps the flavors balanced.
- Fondue-style: Serve in a ceramic warmer or fondue pot to keep the sauce warm for dipping.
- Veggie platter upgrade: Radicchio, endive, and Romanesco add authentic Italian flair alongside carrots, celery, and cauliflower.
- Leftovers tip: Reheat slowly over low heat while whisking—don’t microwave, or the sauce may split.
- Make it your own: Stir in fresh parsley or oregano right before serving for color and freshness.
- Grilling option: Lightly char bread slices or vegetables on the grill for a smoky contrast to the rich sauce.
Nutrition
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❓FAQs for Bagna Cauda
It tenderizes the cloves so they mash easily and mellows out raw garlic’s sharp bite, leaving you with a creamy, balanced sauce.
Traditional, yes. Essential, no. You can mash with a spoon in a bowl or give it a quick pulse in a food processor.
Yes. Store it in the fridge for up to a week. Reheat gently on the stovetop while whisking.
In a fondue pot or ceramic warmer, so it stays silky. Set it in the middle of the table with vegetables and bread, and let everyone dip.
Yes. Without anchovies, it’s not bagna cauda. They’re the soul of the dish, adding deep umami flavor that balances the garlic.
