GENOVESE GREEN SAUCE light and tasty
If you have prepared fish or boiled meats and don’t know how to serve them, there’s nothing better than Genovese green sauce. Light, yet very flavorful.
This sauce, also called a “bagnetto,” should not at all be confused with the Piedmontese sauce of the same name: it is much more aromatic but above all delicate and easy to digest.
It is perfect with boiled meats, with “cima alla genovese,” but especially with fish — in fact it is a staple of cappon magro, another dish from the Ligurian tradition, and also makes a delicious base for crostini.
Of course, like all traditional recipes, every family has its own small variations on the original. Today I offer you the version actually passed down to me by my best friend Federica, black belt in Cappon magro and, naturally, in green sauce too!
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking time: 10 Minutes
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 11 oz Parsley (leaves)
- 1 cup Extra virgin olive oil (about 1 cup + 1 tbsp)
- 2 tbsp Capers (salted)
- 4 Salt-packed anchovy fillets
- 1 tbsp White vinegar
- 1 Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp Pine nuts
- 1 Slice of bread (crumb)
- 2 tbsp Milk
- 1 clove Garlic
- to taste Salt
- egg (1 whole)
Preparation
First prepare the ingredients: wash the parsley and remove the stems, keeping only the leaves; peel the garlic and remove the green shoot; desalinate the anchovies and fillet them; desalinate the capers; soak the bread crumb in 2 tbsp of milk; and finally squeeze the juice of 1 lemon.
Meanwhile, boil an egg to make it hard-boiled.
Once all the ingredients are ready — although tradition would have this sauce made with a mortar — place the parsley leaves, garlic, pine nuts, anchovies, capers, lemon juice and a portion of the oil into the blender jar and start blending. Gradually add the remaining oil in a steady stream and continue blending until you obtain a smooth, creamy mixture. Taste and adjust the salt.
Your green sauce is ready!
Notes
I recommend letting the green sauce rest for at least 24 hours before enjoying it. Once ready, it can be stored in the fridge for up to a week, covered with a drizzle of oil and sealed in a glass jar.
