Bagna Cauda Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Tossing crispy roasted brussels sprouts with bagna cauda — made by simmering lots and lots of garlic with anchovies in olive oil and butter — infuses them with savory flavor.
Serves4
Prep10 minutes
Cook25 minutes to 30 minutes
Roasted Brussels sprouts can stand up to, and take well to, aggressive seasonings — anything from fish sauce and bacon to mustard and miso. Bagna cauda, a specialty of Piedmont, Italy, is a heady, crave-worthy mix that is certainly aggressive in flavor and is a very good friend to Brussels sprouts. According to The Deluxe Food Lover’s Companion, the term comes from bagno caldo, Italian for “hot bath.”
Bagna cauda is made by simmering lots and lots of garlic with anchovies in olive oil and butter. The anchovies and garlic infuse the fat so you end up with an umami-heavy, salty, garlic-breathing hot bath. It’s often used to dip raw vegetables into as an appetizer, but the condiment is also great on meat, eggs, pasta, and salad — or crispy roasted Brussels sprouts. Once the vegetables are out of the oven, they’re tossed in the bagna cauda. While you’ll pick up on the garlic, the anchovy won’t make the sprouts fishy. Instead, it adds a deep savoriness that’ll make you wonder why you never coated your Brussels sprouts in anchovy before.
Bagna Cauda Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Tossing crispy roasted brussels sprouts with bagna cauda — made by simmering lots and lots of garlic with anchovies in olive oil and butter — infuses them with savory flavor.
Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 25 minutes to 30 minutes
Serves 4
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 8 cloves
garlic
- 4
anchovies, rinsed, patted dry, and finely chopped
- 8 tablespoons
(1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup
plus 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 pound
Brussels sprouts
- 1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 425°F. Place a baking sheet in the oven while it heats. Meanwhile, peel and thinly slice 8 garlic cloves. Rinse and pat 4 anchovies dry, then mince. Place the garlic and anchovies in a small saucepan. Add 1 stick unsalted butter and 1/4 cup of the olive oil, and simmer over low heat until the Brussels sprouts are ready (don’t let the garlic brown). Trim and halve 1 pound Brussels sprouts.
Place the Brussels sprouts on the hot baking sheet. Season with the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and a generous grind of black pepper, and toss to combine. Arrange the Brussels sprouts in a single layer cut-side down.
Roast for 15 minutes. Flip the Brussels sprouts and continue roasting until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, 10 to 15 minutes more. Transfer the Brussels sprouts to a serving bowl. Add the bagna cauda and toss to combine.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 4 days.