How to turn stale bread into ‘poor man’s pesto’

Bagnèt verd is a super-economical green sauce that originated in Piedmont, northern Italy. It’s a kind of poor-man’s pesto made with stale bread instead of pine nuts and cheese. The firmer the bread, the better, but any crusty loaf will do. As a wholefood lover, however, I like to use the robust crust from a dark brown sourdough, because not only does it have plenty of flavour and nutrition, but it also gives the sauce a wonderful texture.

Bagnèt verd is usually served with grilled tomino cheese or bollito misto, a traditional dish of slow-cooked meat, but it also works brilliantly alongside any simply cooked meat, fish or vegetable. You can introduce a further layer of flavour complexity by the optional addition of a few capers and a couple of umami-rich anchovy fillets, but even if it’s kept entirely plant-based and without the optional extras, this is a hugely tasty sauce that you may well find yourself slathering on just about everything you can, from a humble piece of toast to a magnificent roast dinner.

Bagnèt verd

Bagnèt verd is an awesome alternative to pesto made with parsley instead of basil and stale bread in place of the usual nuts and cheese. It’s less rich and more acidic than pesto, so it works especially well alongside rich, meaty dishes, because it cuts through the fat, but it can also be enjoyed as a snack on toast or with any simple savoury meal.

Makes 6-10 servings

50g hardened old bread, wholegrain sourdough for preference
1½ tbsp vinegar – wine, sherry or cider
2 tsp capers, drained, plus 1 tbsp of their brine (or water)
6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 small garlic clove, peeled
2 anchovy fillets, optional
50g parsley, including the stalks
Sea salt and black pepper

Tear the stale bread into pieces and put them in a blender with the vinegar, caper brine (or water) and extra-virgin olive oil. Add the capers and anchovies, if using, and pop in the garlic. Finely chop the parsley stalks and roughly chop the leaves, add these to the blender, too, then pulse-blend to a coarse but evenly textured paste. Season and store in a clean jar in the fridge, where it will keep for up to a week.