Anchovy

Roasted Bagna Cauda Broccoli

by:
January 15, 2010
5
6 Ratings
Roasted Bagna Cauda Broccoli
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

This dish reminds me of bagna cauda, with a twist. This rendering adds a few classic Caesar salad flavors, and toasted almonds, for fun. - mariaraynal —mariaraynal

Test Kitchen Notes

For a dish that's packed with assertive flavors -- garlic and anchovy -- it also contains a whole lot of subtlety. Roasting the broccoli caramelzes the tips, giving it both a little crispness and nuttiness. The nut flavor is echoed in the toasted almonds and a squeeze of Meyer lemon perks up the whole. This is a dish that's easy enough for a weeknight meal and impressive enough for a dinner party. - A&M —The Editors

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 head of broccoli, chopped into florets
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 anchovy fillets
  • a splash of white wine
  • a big squeeze of lemon, preferably Meyer
  • Parmesan cheese, for dusting
  • 1/4 cup sliced or slivered almonds, toasted
  • salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 425. Arrange broccoli florets on a Silpat or parchment-lined cookie sheet. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 20-25 minutes and remove.
  2. In a small skillet, melt butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and anchovy and saute for about three minutes. Add wine and lemon and allow to reduce for a minute or two. Season with black pepper if desired.
  3. Meantime, in another small skillet over medium heat, toast almonds until they are lightly browned, taking care not to burn them.
  4. Drizzle sauce and sprinkle almonds and parmesan cheese over broccoli, then serve. Or, dip the broccoli in the sauce at the table. Enjoy!
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mariaraynal
I'm a self-trained home cook and freelance food writer who enjoys cooking and eating seasonally and locally whenever possible. When I travel, visiting the farmers' markets, local groceries and specialty food shops is as important as the shopping, museums and restaurants. I love to immerse myself in cookbooks, then go into the kitchen and experiment; and writing about food and the chefs who cook it is my latest pursuit. By day, I'm an executive speechwriter and event planner.

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88 Reviews

mauralindsay
mauralindsay May 13, 2023
Could I substitute anchovy paste for the anchovies? If so, in what measurement? Thanks.
 
mariaraynal
mariaraynal May 13, 2023
Yes, definitely, 1 teaspoon equals two anchovies.
 
itscal
itscal December 16, 2020
An instant favorite.

I served the broccoli with rice, and will double the sauce next time so there is more than enough for the rice.
 
Linda
Linda February 28, 2016
This is one of the most delicious roasted broccoli recipes I've ever made. I left out the anchovies and toasted almonds. It was fabulous without these two ingredients.
 
Patricia C.
Patricia C. December 13, 2015
I want to make this for Christmas dinner but my daughter is allergic to seafood. Do you think that the dish would be diminished by the lack of anchovies?
 
NotTooSweet
NotTooSweet September 5, 2014
Seriously delicious sauce! I love roasted broccoli and that sauce took it to a whole new level. The crunch of the almonds and dusting of cheese was also genius. Looking forward to using the sauce on lots of other roasted veggies. Thanks!
 
bistrobistro
bistrobistro May 10, 2014
Delish!! I loved the sauce. Will make it again and again.

 
hayley.marcus
hayley.marcus May 5, 2013
After you make the sauce, what do you do with the anchovy filets - chop them up, remove them, or something else?
 
mariaraynal
mariaraynal May 6, 2013
The anchovy fillets should melt into the sauce. You can also chops them up before adding them to the pan if you prefer.
 
Sasutan
Sasutan January 16, 2013
Yum. this is very good! its definitely a keeper!
 
Eric W.
Eric W. February 21, 2012
Awesome. Subbed colatura for the anchovies, left out salt - cheese, colatura are enough.
 
Westminstress
Westminstress February 2, 2012
This was delicious! I subbed pinenuts for almonds and had no white wine, so used extra Meyer lemon for acidity. Served over polenta, and everybody loved it! Thanks for the great recipe.
 
lschrive
lschrive January 18, 2012
This is delicious! My 21 month old daughter ate most of it before her Dad and I could get some! Thank you for this! Will try the dressing on other vegetables too!
 
bottomupfood
bottomupfood March 2, 2011
This was incredible. I love the dressing on lots of other vegetables, too! Really good paired with a vegetable and a bit of polenta on the side.
 
mariaraynal
mariaraynal May 28, 2011
You could even layer the broccoli atop the polenta and pour on some extra dressing... Bet that would be delicious too. Thanks for the idea!
 
aussiefoodie
aussiefoodie February 27, 2011
I was looking for a new way to cook broccoli, to perk up a weekend dinner at home. This was delicious! Roasting the broccoli gave it a whole new take, and the flavors of garlic, anchovies and lemon really gave the dish so much pizzaz! Thank you - so much better than boring steamed veg!
 
mariaraynal
mariaraynal May 28, 2011
Thanks! One of the days I'm going to try the dressing over steamed veggies to shake things up.
 
editrix
editrix January 31, 2011
I thought I was a fan of roasted broccoli (and pretty much any other roasted veggie, especially those of the cruciferous sort) before . . . but your recipe has made me an evangelist! My mods: I used half and half proportions of butter and olive oil; I toasted a mixture of half almonds, half pine nuts since that was what I had on hand; and I grated some lemon zest into the bagna cauda for a little extra ooh-la-la. The anchovy umami blends with the nutty broccoli and toasted nuts in the most ingenious way, and I love the spark of citrus and wine to balance it out. Thank you for a recipe I'll go back to again and again (and again)!
 
mariaraynal
mariaraynal February 1, 2011
Great edits to the recipe, and I love your user name! Thanks for making the recipe and posting about it!
 
cookinginvictoria
cookinginvictoria January 20, 2011
I made this tonight, and it was devoured by my family. The flavors are so vibrant -- I loved the combination of anchovies, garlic and lemon in the sauce. No almonds in the house, so I substituted pine nuts. Such a yummy recipe -- I will definitely make this again. So nice to have another broccoli recipe in my arsenal. My five year old daughter loves eating broccoli so I am always looking for new ways to prepare it.
 
mariaraynal
mariaraynal January 21, 2011
I'll bet the pine nuts were fantastic. I love to hear when kids enjoy eating broccoli and this recipe. Thank you for commenting!
 
NuM N.
NuM N. January 14, 2011
This was INSANELY delicious! I could eat this all day everyday - what a pleasant surprise. Thanks for the recipe
 
mariaraynal
mariaraynal January 21, 2011
Thank you so much for your comment -- loved reading it!
 
stinkycheese
stinkycheese December 30, 2010
This was delicious. I used cauliflower, and could imagine adapting this to many other roasted veggies. Thanks. It's the perfect way to "hide" anchovies, which my husband says he doesn't like. ;-)
 
mariaraynal
mariaraynal January 21, 2011
I've found that so many people think they don't like anchovies until they taste them in a sauce or dressing like this. Cauliflower is a great idea. Thrilled that you enjoyed it!
 
ees
ees November 29, 2010
I made this tonight and it was amazing! I left out the anchovies and it still turned out perfectly. Thank you for the recipe!
 
mariaraynal
mariaraynal December 28, 2010
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
 
ChefJune
ChefJune September 1, 2010
Looks delicious. I think I'd also like this treatment for Broccoli Rabe.
 
mariaraynal
mariaraynal December 28, 2010
What a great idea. Let me know if you ended up making it with rabe.
 
Minimally I.
Minimally I. June 10, 2010
This was phenomenal. I made it last night without the almonds (we were out), added a BIG pinch of red pepper flakes and served it over pasta. I'm so glad I made enough for leftovers tonight. Great recipe!
 
mariaraynal
mariaraynal June 25, 2010
I'm so glad you liked it, and I'm going to try it over pasta too. Smart thinking!