Appetizer Recipes

5-Step Bagna Cauda Salad Toasts

This twist on traditional bagna cauda is such a fun, easy appetizer (check out the recipe below!). Bagna cauda is a hot dipping sauce unique to Northwest Italy, made from olive oil, garlic, and anchovies and served with crudités for dipping. In this recipe, bold radicchio, crunchy celery, peppery arugula, pungent pecorino, and creamy hard-boiled eggs are tossed with a light, lemony bagna cauda dressing and served on toasty crostini.

It’s easy to prep in advance — boil the eggs, make the dressing, cut the bread — so when Thanksgiving guests arrive, all you need to do is throw the crostini in the oven for 8 minutes and assemble. Turkey taking (a lot) longer than expected? No problem, this appetizer is delicious served warm or cool.

Here’s the recipe:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425º. Soft-boil 8 eggs by placing them in a large pot and covering them with 2” of water. Bring the water to a rolling boil for 30 seconds, cover, and remove the pot from the heat. Let rest for 7 minutes, then transfer the eggs to an ice bath. Once cool, peel the eggs and cut them into eighths.

  2. Slice 1 baguette into ½” thick pieces on the diagonal. Place the slices on a rimmed sheet pan, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, and bake for 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown. Set aside.

  3. Chop and mince 10 oil-packed anchovies and 3 garlic cloves into a paste. In a small saucepan, combine the paste with 2 Tbsp unsalted butter and ½ cup extra virgin olive oil. Bring to a simmer over low heat and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, add the zest and juice from 1 lemon, whisk until emulsified, and season with salt.

  4. In a large bowl, toss to combine 1 cored and thinly sliced radicchio, 2 thinly sliced celery stalks, 1 cup arugula, ⅓ cup grated pecorino, the soft-boiled eggs, and the dressing to taste. (Our tip: The salad will wilt quickly once it's dressed, so wait to do that step until right before you’re ready to serve.)

  5. Spread the remaining dressing on the crostini. Place a few tablespoons of the salad on top of each crostini and serve warm with lemon wedges.