This bagna cauda recipe is a warm Italian dipping sauce made with olive oil, garlic, and anchovies, designed for serving with raw vegetables or crudité and ready in about 10 minutes.
Bagna cauda is a simple Italian sauce from Piedmont, Italy, traditionally served warm with fresh vegetables. This easy bagna cauda recipe uses olive oil, garlic, and anchovies cooked over low heat to create a rich dipping sauce perfect for crudité platters.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy bagna cauda recipe ready in about 10 minutes
- Made with just a few simple ingredients
- Naturally low carb and diabetic-friendly
- Perfect dipping sauce for raw vegetables or crusty bread
- Rich garlic and anchovy flavor balanced with olive oil
Ingredients
Method
- Heat olive oil and butter in a small saucepan over low heat.
- Add garlic and cook gently for 1–2 minutes.
- Stir in chopped anchovies and cook until they dissolve.
- Season with black pepper and serve warm.
Notes
Tips for Best Results
- Use high-quality olive oil for the best flavor
- Keep the heat very low to prevent burning the garlic
- Stir continuously so the anchovies dissolve evenly
- Serve warm — bagna cauda thickens as it cools
Variations & Substitutions
Skip the butter and use only olive oil.
Some recipes add a small splash of milk or cream to mellow the garlic flavor.
Use roasted garlic for a sweeter, milder sauce.
Add a pinch of red pepper flakes for subtle heat.
Bagna cauda means “hot bath” in Italian, referring to the warm dipping sauce used for vegetables.
Popular options include celery, carrots, cucumbers, radishes, bell peppers, and cauliflower
When cooked over low heat, anchovies dissolve into the olive oil in about 1–3 minutes.
Yes. It’s low in carbohydrates and typically served with raw vegetables, making it a good option for low-carb diets.
Serving Suggestions
Bagna cauda is traditionally served with a crudité platter of raw vegetables.
Try pairing it with:
- Fresh vegetable crudité boards
- Roasted eggplant baba ganoush
- Mediterranean vegetable platters
