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Bagnun di acciughe is a Ligurian anchovy stew built from fresh anchovies simmered in a garlicky tomato and white wine broth, traditionally ladled over toasted bread. It comes from Riomaggiore and the fishing villages along the Cinque Terre coast, where anchovies were once the cheapest catch pulled off the boats.
The stew works because the technique stays simple: a slow soffritto, a splash of wine to deglaze, tomato for body, and anchovies added only at the end so they stay tender instead of falling apart.
I use whole cleaned anchovies here, spine pulled out by hand, though your fishmonger will usually do this for a small fee if you ask nicely. The broth turns a pale, rusty orange as it simmers, and the anchovies practically melt into it by the time it’s ready.
One thing that trips people up: boiling the anchovies hard once they hit the pot. Keep the heat low and let them simmer gently, or the stew turns gritty and the fish shreds apart instead of staying in soft pieces.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Uses inexpensive fresh anchovies instead of pricier fish
- One pot, about an hour start to finish
- Tastes even better the next day once reheated
- Broth soaks into toasted bread for a rustic, filling bowl
Ingredient Notes
- fresh anchovies: Ask your fishmonger to clean them if pulling the spine out yourself feels fiddly. Fresh sardines work as a substitute but shift the flavor toward something meatier.
- dry white wine: A crisp Vermentino keeps things Ligurian, but any dry white you’d drink works fine. Skip it and use extra stock with a squeeze of lemon if you’d rather not cook with wine.
- tomato paste: Adds concentrated tomato depth without watering down the broth. Double concentrate is stronger than the American kind, so start with a bit less if that’s what’s in your pantry.
- tomato passata: Smooth tomato puree gives the broth its color and body. Crushed tomatoes blended smooth are a fine stand in.
- country bread: Stale, sturdy bread holds its shape once soaked in broth. A rustic sourdough or ciabatta both work well here.
Simmered Bagnun di Acciughe, Ligurian Anchovy Stew
Ingredients
Method
- Clean the anchovies: snap off each head and pull gently to draw out the spine and guts in one motion. Rinse under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
- Heat the olive oil in a 26 cm / 10-inch Dutch oven or wide pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring often, until soft and translucent.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and stir for another minute to darken slightly.
- Pour in the white wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Let it bubble for 2 to 3 minutes until reduced by about half.
- Stir in the passata, stock (or water), red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Simmer the broth uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens slightly and turns a deep rusty orange.
- Lower the anchovies into the broth in a single layer. Keep the heat low so the liquid barely simmers, no rolling boil, or the fish will shred apart.
- Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until the anchovy flesh turns opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Stir gently once or twice, breaking a few pieces into the broth.
- Stir in half the parsley and taste the broth, adjusting salt and pepper as needed.
- Toast the bread slices until deeply golden, then rub each one with the cut side of the halved garlic clove.
- Set a slice of toasted bread in each bowl, ladle the bagnun over it, and top with the remaining parsley and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve right away.
Notes
- Buy the freshest anchovies you can find, ideally the same day you plan to cook.
- Don't skip pulling the spine, it keeps the texture pleasant instead of bony.
- Simmer gently once the fish goes in, never a hard boil.
- Toast bread just before serving so it doesn't go soft in storage.
Tips for Success
- Pull the spine out of each anchovy right after snapping off the head, in one motion, so the fillets stay in one piece.
- Keep the broth at a gentle simmer once the anchovies go in, since a hard boil breaks them into shreds and turns the stew gritty.
- Toast the bread until deeply golden so it holds its shape once the broth soaks in instead of turning to mush.
- Taste the broth before adding anchovies since salt levels vary between fish and anchovies add plenty of their own salinity.
- Reserve extra parsley for the top; the bright, raw green cuts through the richness of the tomato and oil.
Variations
- Stir in a handful of broken spaghetti during the last 8 minutes of simmering for a heartier, pasta-based version of bagnun.
- Add a small handful of soaked porcini or a splash of anchovy colatura for a deeper, more savory broth.
- Swap half the anchovies for fresh sardines if that’s what’s fresher at the market; the texture stays close to traditional.
Storage and Reheating
Bagnun keeps for 2 days in the fridge, covered, and the flavor actually deepens overnight as the tomato and wine mellow into the broth.
Reheat it gently in a saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 6 minutes until warmed through. Avoid a hard boil, since it toughens the anchovies further.
Freezing works for up to 2 months if you leave the bread out of the container. Add fresh toasted bread when you reheat and serve.
Serving Suggestions
Bagnun di acciughe traditionally goes over toasted bread rubbed with garlic, right in the bowl, so the bread soaks up the broth as you eat.
A glass of the same white wine you cooked with rounds out the meal, along with a simple green salad dressed with lemon and olive oil.
For a heartier plate, spoon the stew over a small bowl of plain boiled potatoes or short broken pasta instead of bread.
FAQ
Why does my bagnun di acciughe taste bitter or overly fishy?
Bitterness usually means the anchovies weren’t fresh enough or the guts weren’t fully removed before cooking. Buy anchovies that smell like the sea, not fishy, and rinse the cavity well after gutting. A gentle simmer, not a rolling boil, also keeps the flavor cleaner.
Can I use frozen anchovies instead of fresh for this stew?
Yes, frozen anchovies work well and are often more consistent than fresh ones sold far from the coast. Thaw them fully in the fridge overnight and pat dry before cleaning. The broth tastes nearly identical once everything simmers together.
Can I make bagnun di acciughe a day ahead?
Yes, it actually tastes better the next day once the tomato and wine mellow into the broth. Store it covered in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheat gently over low heat. Add fresh toasted bread right before serving so it doesn’t turn soggy in storage.
What goes with bagnun di acciughe besides bread?
A crisp glass of Vermentino or another dry white wine pairs naturally since it’s already in the broth. A simple lemon-dressed salad or plain boiled potatoes round out the meal without competing with the tomato and anchovy flavor.
Is bagnun di acciughe gluten free?
The stew itself is gluten free since it’s built from anchovies, tomato, wine, and olive oil. The only gluten comes from the traditional bread served underneath, so swap in a gluten-free loaf or serve it over rice instead.
What’s the difference between bagnun and cacciucco?
Bagnun di acciughe is a single-fish stew built almost entirely around anchovies, while cacciucco from Tuscany mixes several kinds of fish and shellfish in one pot. Bagnun’s broth stays lighter and simpler, closer to a soffritto-based tomato broth than a layered seafood stew.