Parsley Pesto – Fresh And Easy
- Makes 1 cup (enough to serve 4 with pasta)
- Prep 2 minutes
- Total 2 minutes
The easiest parsley pesto made with simple ingredients and ready in only 2 minutes! You can use this pesto in so many ways from pasta, with fish or chicken, in salads, sandwiches or as a dip. It's the easiest way to add a ton of flavor to your food!
You probably already know that pesto is one of our favourite things ever. The most common known basil pesto is incredibly good (when homemade, we hate the jarred stuff) BUT you also make pesto with parsley!
Yup, you can pretty much make pesto with any herb…fresh coriander (cilantro) is also good with many Mexican dishes but the basil and parsley varieties are brilliant with Mediterranean and Italian food.
What's In Parsley Pesto? Here's What You'll Need
- Parsley
- Lemon juice
- Garlic
- Parmesan
- Pine nuts
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
How To Make Parsley Pesto – Step By Step
There are two ways to make pesto. The traditional way to make pesto is using a mortar and pestle, add all the ingredient to the mortar and grind and bash it into a paste. Some Italians in the north of Italy will even argue that if it's not made in a mortar and pestle then it ain't pesto (talking about basil pesto).
The other method and the one we use regularly for quickness is using a bowl and immersion (handheld) blender. We add all the ingredients to a bowl and blend until smooth and thick. Done!
Flat Leaf Parsley Vs Curly Parsley
We're not a fan of curly parsley we find it coarse and we don't think the flavour is as nice as flat-leaf parsley either. Of course, you can use either but we recommend using only flat-leaf parsley to make this pesto as it'll result in a smoother consistency.
Top Tips For Making Parsley Pesto
- Yes you can freeze pesto. Transfer it into an ice cube tray or store it in small plastic containers and freeze for up to 6 months.
- Don't toast the pine nuts, we've seen many recipes recommend this but you get a nice creamy taste from un-toasted pine nuts.
- You can use parmigiano reggiano cheese or hard pecorino cheese to make this pesto
- Don't skip the garlic unless you have to it adds a ton of flavour
Ways To Use Parsley Pesto
- Toss with you favourite pasta or gnocchi
- Spread on the base of a sandwich
- Toss with spinach and serve as a side
- Toss with any salad for extra flavour
- Serve with roast chicken or grilled fish
Check Out our Other Pesto Recipes
Ingredients
Makes 1 cup (enough to serve 4 with pasta)
- 2 oz (60g) flat leaf parsley ((2 large handfuls))
- 1 heaped tbsp pine nuts
- 1 squeeze lemon juice ((around 1 tsp))
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tbsp parmigiano reggiano or pecorino cheese (freshly grated)
- 4 tbsp olive oil (extra virgin)
Method
Place all ingredients in a bowl and blitz until smooth with an immersion blender.
If using a mortar and pestle add it to the mortar and pound until smooth. Season and use as required.
Kitchen notes
- Yes you can freeze pesto. Transfer it into an ice cube tray or store it in small plastic containers and freeze for up to 6 months.
- Toss with you favourite pasta
- Spread on the base of a sandwich
- Toss with spinach and serve as a side
- Toss with any salad for extra flavour
- Serve with roast chicken or grilled fish
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