Name: Agliata (Italian Garlic Bread Sauce)
Total time: 15
Yield: Makes 1¼ cups (serves 4 to 6)
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: ⅔ cup torn baguette; 2 ounces (½ cup) walnuts, toasted; 2 garlic cloves, peeled; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 1 teaspoon table salt; ½ teaspoon pepper; 2 anchovy fillets (optional); ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Why This Recipe Works

Agliata is a rustic, garlicky emulsified sauce thickened with bread and walnuts instead of egg yolk. We soak the bread in water before blitzing it with the garlic paste and toasted nuts, which softens its texture so it blends in seamlessly. Adding the olive oil slowly, in a thin stream, lets the sauce emulsify gradually into a thick, spoonable consistency rather than breaking. Parsley and a bright hit of lemon juice balance the raw garlic’s intensity. The anchovies aren’t essential, but we prefer them for the extra-savory depth they bring.

Before You Begin

Serve over grilled fish, fresh pasta, and roasted vegetables or meat.

Instructions

Place ⅔ cup torn baguette in bowl, cover with water, and let sit for 2 minutes.

Squeeze bread to remove excess liquid, then process bread, ½ cup toasted walnuts, 2 peeled garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon table salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and 2 anchovy fillets, if using, in blender until finely chopped, about 15 seconds, scraping down sides of blender jar as needed. With blender running, slowly drizzle in ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil until mixture is smooth, about 1 minute. Stir in 2 tablespoons chopped parsley and serve.