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Italian Walnut Parsley Pesto

October 22, 2019 By justalittlebitofbacon Leave a Comment

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link. Click here for details.

Pesto isn’t just for basil! This recipe for walnut parsley pesto is bright, vibrant, and full of flavor. Perfect for slathering on sandwiches, serving with chicken or fish, or tossing with pasta for dinner. It’s the great start to tasty Italian meal.

A small bowl of Italian parsley pesto topped with chopped walnuts and parsley. Parmesan cheese, parsley, and walnuts arranged around the bowl.

Hello, all!

Here I am on the other side of a lovely wedding we went to this past weekend (my niece got married!), and ready to get into cooking again. Because nearly four days without cooking was quite enough. šŸ˜‰

Honestly, I can’t go much more than that without getting a little antsy, but it is nice having a break.

Now that I’m back, what’s on the menu? Why, pesto parsley of course! Yeah, you probably figured that out from the title. Anyway…why use parsley instead of basil? I’m glad you asked!

Why You’ll love this recipe

First, as I write this we are in the depths of fall and winter is coming. That means fresh basil is more expensive and hard to come by. No more going into the garden or finding big bunches at the farmers’ market. When we are talking fall/winter recipes, it’s nice to have some other options!

Second, parsley makes GREAT pesto. Think of all the tasty parsley based sauces you’ve enjoyed (maybe some chimichurri? or salsa verde?) and you’ll know that this is going to be amazing and you’ll love it.

Third, parsley stays bright green when pureed into a sauce and that means you’ll have a beautiful, green sauce for your dinner even if you made it days ago. Bonus!

A bowl of pasta tossed with creamy sauce and white beans for dinner. A cloth napkin, parmesan cheese, and parsley on the table.

What do you need?

  • Parsley – Italian flat leaf is the best and pack it into those cups!
  • Walnuts – Half a cup toasted
  • Romano – Though you can use parmesan I like the flavor of the romano here
  • Olive Oil – A flavorful, fruity oil is best
  • Flavorings – Garlic, lemon, and salt

How to make this

To make parsley pesto put parsley, walnuts, romano cheese, garlic, and lemon in a food processor. Start the processor and pour in olives oil while it runs. Continue processing until you have a smooth sauce.

It’s that simple and takes about 5-10 minutes to make!

Recipe Tips

  • For more texture, keep out half of the walnuts and finely chop them by hand then mix them in once the sauce is made.
  • If you add the finely chopped nuts at the end, it’s nice (but not necessary) to toast them first. This will keep them more crunchy.
  • A little fresh lemon juice and zest brightens up the sauce and gives it more zip.
  • Make sure you pack the parsley in the measuring cup. If you don’t, the sauce will be thin!

Ingredients and how to make this recipe.

Can you freeze it?

Yes, you can. I recommend freezing it in smaller portions (ice cube tray size) so that you can easily pull out a small amount for a recipe.

How to use?

Since this recipe is a close variation of the basil version, anywhere you use basil pesto, you can use this recipe. This means you can spread it on paninis or on bruschetta, put it on your chicken or fish, have it with grilled or roasted meats, put it on your pizza, toss it with pasta. The sky’s the limit!

Here are a few recipes I have which would be lovely with parsley pesto:

More Recipes Using Pesto

  • Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad
  • Shrimp Pesto Pasta with Walnuts
  • Italian Chicken Panini   

Top down view of a spoon holding up parsley pesto over a bowl.

If you try my recipe for Walnut Parsley Pesto, I would love to hear from you in the comments with your experience and rating! And I’m happy to answer any questions you might have.

You can connect with me by subscribing to my emails (see the form in the sidebar or below the recipe card), liking my FACEBOOK page, or by following me on PINTEREST.

– Happy Eating, Annemarie

You'll love this simple and fast vegetarian dinner! Pesto is tossed with pasta and white beans and a little pasta water for a creamy sauce and a satisfying meal. Use store-bought pesto for a super quick meal or make your own pesto. | justalittlebitofbacon.com #italianrecipes #vegetarian #vegetariandinners #pasta #pastarecipes
Print Recipe

Italian Walnut Parsley Pesto

Italian walnut parsley pesto is a quick and easy recipe great all year round and perfect in the winter! Wonderful for dinner with salmon or chicken or tossed with pasta to make a creamy sauce.
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time0 mins
Total Time5 mins
Course: Condiment
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: parsley pesto, winter pesto
Servings: 6
Calories: 225kcal
Author: justalittlebitofbacon

Ingredients

  • 2 cups packed parsley leaves
  • 1/2 cup (2 oz) chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 cup (1/2 oz) shredded romano cheese, or parmesan
  • 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  • To the bowl of a food processor add the parsley, walnuts, cheese, garlic, salt, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
  • Pulse the food processor until everything is finely chopped.
  • Switch the food processor to on and, while it is running, pour in the olive oil. Continue processing for about 30 seconds after you are done.
  • Use immediately or store in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. (Or freeze for up to 3 months.)

Notes

  • Refrigerating: To have the best flavor in refrigerated pesto, I pour a little olive oil over the top of the sauce when I put in the container. This will keep the herbs at their freshest.
  • Freezing: I freeze pesto in ice cube trays (or similar) and then transfer the frozen cubes to a well sealed freezer bag. That way I can take out just a little as needed.
  • Walnuts: If you like more texture in your sauce, keep out some (or all) of the walnuts and finely chop the reserved walnuts by hand. Add them when you serve the pesto.
Pesto in a serving bowl and over pasta with text overlay - Parsley Walnut Pesto.
Pesto in a brown serving bowl with spoon with text overlay - Italian Parsley Walnut Pesto.

Related Posts:

  • Simple Homemade Green Olive Pesto
    Simple Homemade Green Olive Pesto
  • Pesto Pasta with White Beans
    Pesto Pasta with White Beans
  • Shrimp Pesto Pasta with Walnuts
    Shrimp Pesto Pasta with Walnuts
  • Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad
    Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad
  • Italian Salsa Verde
    Italian Salsa Verde
  • Ground Beef Skillet Pasta with Pesto and Ricotta
    Ground Beef Skillet Pasta with Pesto and Ricotta

Filed Under: 15 minutes or less, fall, gluten free, italian recipes, mediterranean recipes, recipe, sauces and condiments, vegetarian, winter Tagged With: garlic, lemon, parmesan cheese, parsley, walnuts

« Creamy Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Pesto Pasta with White Beans »

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Hello, I’m Annemarie

Welcome to my kitchen! I’m a Italian-American girl who loves fresh foods, local ingredients, and all sorts of comfort foods. Here you will find Mediterranean flavors and recipes from a New England perspective.

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