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Italian salsa verde is a wonderfully tangy, vibrant condiment and you will find endless uses for this easy, versatile sauce. Slather this classic green sauce over grilled steak, eggs, fish, roasted chicken, or shrimp, toss it with vegetables, use it as a salad dressing, or slather it in a sandwich. This Italian sauce (that packs a flavor punch) is made with fresh herbs, anchovy paste, oil, vinegar, capers, lemon juice, and garlic, and you can make it from scratch in just 10 minutes. So, if you’re looking for a new sauce or condiment to liven up dinner, try Italian-style salsa verde (aka bagnetto verde)!
This Italian salsa verde is a rich-flavored herb based sauce that’s beautiful paired with steak, chicken, fish, or even vegetables. It’s quick and easy to prepare and tastes amazing.
Pair Italian salsa verde with reverse sear New York steak, spread it on mushroom bruschetta or swap it for the sauce in salmon foil packs.
Why You’ll Love It
Super-easy: All you need to make authentic Italian salsa verde is ten minutes and a food processor – it couldn’t be simpler!
Versatile condiment: You’ll find plenty of uses for salsa verde, whether that’s pairing it up with Italian steak, spread it over chicken or fish, tossing it with roasted veggies, or even smearing it over a crusty slice of ciabatta.
No cooking required: Not only is salsa verde easy to make and delicious but there’s no cooking needed either!
A make-ahead option: Prepare your Italian salsa verde in advance and just keep it in the refrigerator until needed.
Salsa Verde Italiana Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Fresh parsley: I like to use flat leaf parsley but you can use curly parsley if you prefer. They’re very similar.
Fresh basil: Adds a herby taste.
Anchovy paste: You can use 1 canned anchovy if you prefer or, if you aren’t keen on them, omit the anchovies and just add extra salt.
Extra-virgin olive oil: Use Italian for the most authentic flavor.
Capers: Adds a pop of saltiness and goes well with the anchovy flavor.
White wine vinegar: Adds a piquant flair.
Lemon: Complements the herb flavors.
Garlic: Always delicious!
Crushed red pepper flakes: Optional but nice if you want a little heat.
How to Make Mediterranean Salsa Verde
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Blend the ingredients: Put everything in a food processor and blend until smooth (or until chunky – your choice!)
Season: Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve: Pour it into a serving dish and keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Substitutions and Variations
Anchovy options: Use canned anchovies, anchovy paste (handy because it keeps for weeks) or omit them and add extra salt.
Make it spicy: Add red pepper flakes if you want a little heat, or omit for a milder result. You could even add a jalapeno or serrano to really spice it up.
Another vinegar: White wine vinegar works well in Italian salsa verde, but you could sub champagne vinegar or sherry vinegar. Red wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar would work at a pinch but have a slightly different taste.
Serving Suggestions
Appetizers: Use Italian salsa verde on bruschetta or crostini, or enjoy it simply with some crusty bread.
Side dishes: Italian steak is wonderful with this Italian parsley sauce, or you could enjoy it on a fried chicken sandwich or with roasted chicken.
Dessert: Keep the Italian theme going with lemon ricotta cake or limoncello bundt cake.
How to Store Parsley Salsa Verde
Store: Keep Italian salsa verde in a covered container in the refrigerator and use within 3 days.
Freeze: It actually freezes really well! I like to freeze cubes in a tray (this brand is my favorite) to use in future recipes.
Thaw: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or on the countertop if you’re just thawing a small amount.
Top Tips
No food processor? Finely chop the herbs, capers and garlic by hand, then stir in the other ingredients, seasoning to taste at the end.
Try different herbs: Customize your Italian salsa verde with chives, dill, rosemary, cilantro, or even green onions.
Serve it chilled: This is a cold rather than a hot sauce, so keep it refrigerated until it’s time to serve your meal.
Italian Style Salsa Verde FAQs
In both Italian and Spanish, it means green sauce. However, recipes vary. Mexican salsa verde is typically made using tomatillos, cilantro and hot chilies, while the Italian version is made with fresh herbs, most of which is parsley.
Flat leaf parsley has a more robust taste and it’s also easier to clean, as curly parsley traps dirt in its leaves. However, you can use either type when making Italian salsa verde.
This recipe serves between 6 and 10 people depending on serving size. A serving is 1 or 2 tablespoons, but you might like to make extra because it keeps in the fridge for days or the freezer for months.
Both sauces have parsley, garlic, and vinegar, but chimichurri also includes chilis and dried oregano (and sometimes cilantro), while salsa verde usually adds anchovies and capers. Italian salsa verde gets its savory flavor from the capers and anchovies, while chimichurri brings the heat with red pepper flakes. They might seem similar at first, but their different ingredients really set them apart.
Italian Salsa Verde Recipe
Italian Salsa Verde
Ingredients
- 1 Cup fresh parsley, flat-leaf
- 1 Cup fresh basil
- 1 Teaspoon anchovy paste
- ⅓ Cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon capers, drained
- 1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
- Zest and juice of half a lemon
- 2 Cloves garlic, peeled
- ¼ Teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until it reaches your desired texture.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Pour into a bowl or store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Notes
Try different herbs: Customize your Italian salsa verde with chives, dill, rosemary, cilantro, or even green onions.
Serve it chilled: This is a cold rather than a hot sauce, so keep it refrigerated until it’s time to serve your meal.
Nutrition
Make Italian salsa verde just once and you’ll be hooked on this gorgeous condiment or sauce from Italy. It’s one of the best green sauces ever and it’s beautiful on grilled steaks, chicken, vegetables, or anything else you want to add a garlicky, lemony herby flavor to. Italian salsa verde takes just 10 minutes to make from scratch and there’s no cooking required.
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Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
I love slathering it on anything. The burst of freshness and flavor is divine!
Fabulous sauce. Made it to go with grilled steak and used leftovers on some eggs in the morning.