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.
Servings 6
Calories 225kcal
Ingredients
- 2 cups packed parsley leaves
- 1/2 cup (2 oz) chopped walnuts, toasted
- 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: To toast, spread nuts out on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes at 350F, cool and proceed with the recipe. 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.
Nutrition
Calories: 225kcal