Parsley Pesto

I love using different herbs and making pesto. Pesto made at home, with fresh herbs, always tastes better than the processed ones available in supermarkets. You can also adjust the flavour, taste and amount of oil based on your preference. If you learn the basics of making pesto, you can get creative and try this recipe with different herbs.

All you need is an herb (e.g., Basil, Dill, Parsley, Coriander, etc.), Nuts or Seeds (e.g., pine nuts, sunflower seeds, walnuts, etc.), Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Cheese (e.g., Parmesan, Pecorino, etc.), Garlic and/or Lemon Zest for the umami flavour, and optionally, lemon juice for that extra zing.

Pesto can be combined with pasta or spread on toasted bread and eaten.

Parsley Pesto is one of the recipes I have tried recently in my kitchen and absolutely loved because of its unique taste and fragrance.

Recently, I also made Dill Pesto by combining fresh dill leaves from my terrace garden with nuts and olive oil. You can check its recipe here.

Coming to Parsley Pesto, parsley is a herb commonly found in German Supermarkets and Turkish stores. In German, it is called Petersilie. It has a herby, sweet, and bitter taste and a unique fragrance. It can be used for garnishing salads and many other dishes. In this recipe, however, parsley is used as the main ingredient. Let’s check out the recipe for Parsley Pesto.

Equipment needed:

• Pan for frying the seeds: https://amzn.to/3RHkleP
• Mixer Grinder: https://amzn.to/3LzMbGF 

Ingredients needed for Parsley Pesto:

• 2 Handfuls of Fresh Parsley Leaves
• 1 Clove Garlic ( you can increase or decrease as per your preference)
• 2 tbsp Toasted Sunflower Seeds ( You can replace sunflower seeds with pumpkin seeds, pine nuts or walnuts)
• Zest of half a Lemon
• 2 tbsp Parmesan Cheese ( You can also use Pecorino)
• 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt; to taste ( Remember, parmesan also has salt)

Method to make Parsley Pesto:

On medium heat, toast sunflower seeds. Once toasted, keep them aside and let them cool.

Grind the toasted seeds along with lemon zest, salt and garlic.

Add parmesan cheese and washed parsley. Grind to a fine paste.

Slowly add oil and incorporate it into the ground paste.

Transfer to the serving dish. If you prefer, you can drizzle a bit more olive oil, garnish with some toasted sunflower seeds, and serve.

Here is the recipe in printable format:

Check out other recipes from my kitchen here.

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