A real evergreen recipe from Piedmont: Green Sauce, better known as Salsa Verde

The green sauce from Piedmont in Piedmontese dialect is also called bagnet vert and is a sauce originally made to accompany meat dishes. It was considered a preparation for nobilty, as in the past only rich people could regularly afford meat on their tables.

If you go to Piedmont the bollito misto piemontese is a must-taste, a local traditional dish made with different kinds of boiled meats, served with the green sauce or with another spicy sauce called Mostarda.

Nowadays the green sauce is a popular seasoning, well known all over Italy. It is appreciated in several ways, even simply spread on bread as a tasty appetizer. Everyone gives it a personal touch: creativity and simplicity are important traits of our cuisine. Indeed, not surprisingly, my own version does not include capers (listed among original ingredients) because I like it less savoury. To that end, I also use a more generous dose of stale bread.

Ingredients of green sauce recipe

• 100 gr parsley;
• 3 anchovies;
• 1 clove of garlic;
• 1/2 table spoon of capers;
• 1 hard-boiled egg;
• 1/2 glass of wine vinegar and some water;
• 2/3 glass of extra virgin olive oil;
• Pepper;
• Salt;
• 40 gr stale bread.

Preparation of the green sauce

Detach the green leaves of parsley from the stalk, wash them and grind thinly. For this operation I use a mezzaluna knife, and old tool used in Italian kitchens before the arrival of the modern electric grinder. A little tip about the parsley stalks: do not throw them away because they are perfect for a vegetal broth.

Cut the stale bread in pieces and soften them in vinegar with water. Meanwhile boil the egg separately. When the egg is well cooked, peel it and chop up well (the original recipe says only the yolk, I use the entire egg) together with the softened and squeezed bread, garlic, anchovies, capers.

After this operation, blend the parsley together with the above minced ingredients. As you keep blending, gently add inch by inch the extra virgin olive oil, then salt (a little bit because there are the salted anchovies) and pepper.

The green sauce is ready, put it in the fridge and remember: the day after (if some is left) it will be more tasty!

In Italy we call this tool "Mezzaluna" knife, literally "half moon".

Salsa verde work in progess.

Now it's time to add the extra virgin olive oil.

Mix the green sauce with a wooden spoon.

Let the green sauce stand for about 15 minutes.

Now the Salsa verde is ready to serve!