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Bagna cauda (Piedmont’s garlic and anchovy hot dip)

Bagna cauda – Piedmont’s Iconic Garlic and Anchovy Hot Dip

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In Piemonte, our home region of Italy, few dishes are as iconic and deeply rooted in tradition as bagna cauda. This warm, savory dip made with garlic and anchovies is such a cornerstone of northern Italian cuisine that it has been proposed for recognition as part of UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage and is celebrated every November during Bagna Cauda Day.

Literally meaning "hot sauce" in our local dialect, this rich and intensely flavorful dish is more than just food – it’s a ritual of communal eating and togetherness. While it can be treated as an appetizer, Bagna Cauda is by many considered a meal in itself, enjoyed slowly with a colorful assortment of fresh and cooked vegetables and shared in good company, making it a staple of Piedmontese autumn and winter gatherings.

While it features only 3 main ingredients, this is by no means a mild recipe – bagna cauda is bold, garlicky, and deeply umami. The best way to enjoy this flavorful dip is by choosing the right supporting characters. In the Ruffoni family, we love vegetables with strong, complementary flavors: bitter, leafy chicories like radicchio and endive, which are crunchy and refreshing, or raw bell peppers, thinly sliced fennels and boiled baby potatoes for a touch of sweetness. And of course, crusty sourdough bread to mop up every last drop from the pot doing "scarpetta"!

Looking for the perfect wine pairing to round out this rich and satisfying tradition? We recommend bold reds from Piemonte like Ghemme, Barbaresco, Barbera or Nebbiolo.

Bagna cauda (Piedmont’s garlic and anchovy hot dip)

Famiglia Ruffoni

Category

Main courses

Bagna cauda (Piedmont’s garlic and anchovy hot dip)

Ingredients

  • one head of garlic (approx 12 cloves), peeled

  • 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk

  • 10 large or 20 small anchovy fillets (100 gr)

  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

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  • carrot batons

  • celery sticks

  • bell peppers, sliced

  • radicchio

  • raw fennel, thinly sliced

  • endive leaves (make the perfect little boats for scooping)

  • baby potatoes, boiled

  • onions, roasted

  • Crusty bread

Instructions

  1. Peel the garlic cloves and place them into a Saucepan with enough milk to cover.

  2. Bring the milk to a gentle boil over medium heat and simmer until the garlic is soft and mellow, approx 10 minutes, then turn off the heat.

  3. In a clean Saucepan, combine the extra-virgin olive oil, poached garlic and anchovy fillets, and bring to a simmer over low heat.

  4. Simmer gently for about 10 minutes, and use a fork or wooden spoon to mash the garlic and anchovies until they dissolve into a sauce.

  5. Serve hot over a Warming Stand and enjoy with your favorite vegetables and crusty bread.

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Famiglia Ruffoni

Meet the author

Famiglia Ruffoni

In the Ruffoni family, cooking is the language of love.
Many of our most cherished memories are linked to cooking and eating together and, even when physically apart, we always discuss old family recipes, share newly discovered ingredients and techniques, and show off our culinary creations through texts and video calls.

In this blog we share the simple, delicious recipes of the Italian heritage – as they have been handed down through generations of Ruffoni – along with our thoughts (and rants!) on all things copper.