Parsley Pesto Recipe – Fresh And Easy

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 my favourite things ever. The most common known basil pesto is incredibly delicious (when homemade, I 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 delicious 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 is it’s not made in a mortar and pestle then is ain’t pesto (talking about basil pesto).

The other method and the one I use regularly for quickness is using a bowl and immersion (hand held) blender. I just add all the ingredients to a bowl and blend until smooth and thick. Done!

Flat Leaf Parsley Vs Curly Parsley

I’m not really a fan of curly parsley I find it very coarse and I don’t think the flavour is as nice as flat leaf parsley either. Of course you can use either but I 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, I’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
• 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 My Other Pesto Recipes

• Basil Pesto
• Sun dried tomato pesto
• Cavolo Nero pesto

If you’ve tried these Parsley Pesto or any other recipe on the blog please let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.

Step By Step Photos AboveMost of our recipes come with step by step photos, helpful tips and tricks to make it perfectly first time and even video!

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5 from 4 votes

Parsley pesto

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!

Course condiment

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 2 minutes

Total Time 2 minutes

Servings 1 cup (enough to serve 4 with pasta)

Calories 547kcal

Author Emily Kemp

Ingredients

• 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

Instructions

• 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.

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

Nutrition Facts

Parsley pesto

Amount Per Serving

Calories 547 Calories from Fat 522

% Daily Value*

Fat 58g89%

Saturated Fat 8g50%

Cholesterol 3mg1%

Sodium 115mg5%

Potassium 332mg9%

Carbohydrates 5g2%

Fiber 1g4%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 5055IU101%

Vitamin C 80.8mg98%

Calcium 142mg14%

Iron 4mg22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition

Calories: 547kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 58g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 115mg | Potassium: 332mg | Fiber: 1g | Vitamin A: 5055IU | Vitamin C: 80.8mg | Calcium: 142mg | Iron: 4mg

Helpful Info for All Recipes

• I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
• When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use this brand for the best results and flavour
• All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
• All recipes are tested and developed using a fan oven
• Find out more about how nutrition is calculated here
• Check out our must have Italian Pantry Staples here
• You can also find all our Essential Kitchen Tools for Italian Cooking here

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