Italian Salsa Verde (All-Occasion Green Sauce)

We generally think of salsa verde as Mexican, but the Italians make a great green sauce. Oh, how we miss the version we ate many years ago at a favorite restaurant in Washington, D.C. We don't remember the restaurant's name, only the creamy green sauce that surrounded its chicken. 

"This is a thick green herb sauce that's wonderful on anything from roasted vegetables to fish and chicken," says Paul Spring. "It is robust and complex—yet like most Italian food, very simple."

He found it in the "River Café Cookbook" by Rose Gray and Ruth Rodgers, which is available on Amazon.com. 

Italian Salsa Verde

1 large bunch of fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsely

1 bunch fresh basil

A generous handful of mint leaves

3 medium garlic cloves

½ cup capers (the salted variety are best when rinsed, but you can use capers in vinegar if you cut down on the vinegar and mustard in the recipe)

6 anchovy fillets

2 T. red wine vinegar

5 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 scant t. Dijon mustard

Salt and fresh-ground pepper

Pulse everything but the olive oil and mustard in a food processor. Transfer to a bowl and slowly stir in the olive oil to create an emulsion. Finally, add the mustard.