Parsley Pesto (What to Do With Garden Parsley)

Garden overflowing with parsley? This Italian parsley pesto comes together in 15 minutes with toasted walnuts, Romano cheese, fresh garlic, and a good olive oil. No-cook, freezer-friendly, and delicious on everything from pasta to grilled fish.

Parsley pesto is my favorite way to use up an abundance of fresh garden parsley, and every summer, when my herb garden takes over, it is the first recipe I turn to.

Made with toasted walnuts, Romano cheese, fresh garlic and extra virgin olive oil, it comes together in just 15 minutes and tastes completely different from anything you can buy in a jar.

When I think of pesto, I always picture the classic basil version, probably because of my Italian roots.

But guess what?

Fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley makes an equally delicious and lively pesto with a bright, herby flavor that is a wonderful twist on my traditional basil pesto recipe.

If you have an excess of parsley from your garden or the local farmer’s market, this is the recipe to make - or if you want to save it for later, freezing parsley is always a great option too.

Jump to:

• Quick Overview
• What You’ll Need
• How to Prepare Your Ingredients
• How to Make Parsley Pesto
• Tips
• FAQ
• How to Use Pesto
• More Pesto Recipes
• Recipe Origins
• Recipe

Quick Overview

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 minutes (toasting the walnuts)
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: Approximately 1 cup
• Best Time to Make It: June through September, when garden parsley is at its most abundant and flavourful
• Special Touch: Toasted walnuts and Romano cheese instead of the classic pine nuts and parmesan - a nuttier, sharper flavor that pairs beautifully with fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Serving Suggestions: Toss with homemade fresh pasta or your favorite store-bought spaghetti, spoon over grilled chicken, stir into soup, spread on focaccia, or mix into mashed potatoes. Freezes beautifully in ice cube trays for up to 3 months - perfect for enjoying that garden-fresh flavor all winter long.

What You’ll Need

• Fresh Italian Flat-Leaf Parsley: The star of this recipe. Flat-leaf parsley has a more intense, complex flavor than curly parsley and blends into a smoother, more vibrant pesto. If your garden is producing more than you can use right now, this pesto freezes beautifully - or you can freeze the parsley itself for later use.
• Walnuts (toasted): Toasting the walnuts before blending is the step that makes the biggest difference in flavor. It takes just 5 minutes in a dry skillet and transforms them from mild to rich and nutty. Do not skip this step.
• Romano Cheese (freshly grated): Sharper and saltier than Parmesan, Romano is the right choice here. Its bold flavor stands up beautifully to the assertive taste of fresh parsley. Always grate it fresh - pre-packaged grated cheese will not give you the same result.
• Fresh Garlic: Grate or mince the garlic before adding it to the food processor rather than dropping in whole cloves. This ensures it distributes evenly throughout the pesto without leaving any harsh raw chunks.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Use your best bottle. Since there is no cooking involved, the olive oil’s flavor comes through directly. Drizzle it in slowly while the food processor runs for the smoothest, most emulsified result.
• Kosher Salt and Black Pepper: Season at the end, after tasting, since Romano cheese is already quite salty.
• Fresh Lemon Juice (optional): A small squeeze adds brightness and also helps preserve the vivid green color if you are not using the pesto immediately.

How to Prepare Your Ingredients

Although the recipe takes mere minutes to come together in a food processor, we need a small investment of time to prepare the ingredients. Let’s begin by toasting the walnuts.

Prep the walnuts: Place ¾ cup of chopped walnuts over medium-low heat in a small skillet, shaking the pan occasionally. They will take about 5 minutes to get lightly browned and fragrant. Transfer from the hot pan to a bowl to cool down completely. 

Prep the parsley: Place one bunch of fresh parsley leaves in a large bowl of water and swish it around. If the stems are delicate, there is no need to separate them from the parsley leaves. If the parsley stalks are tough, remove the leaves from the long stems. You should have about 2 cups of loosely packed leaves or approximately 50 grams. 

Next, remove the excess moisture by spinning them in a salad spinner. If you do not have one, spread the leaves over a tea towel and gently pat dry with another. Paper towels can also be used. Then you can spread the leaves out on a tea towel and air-dry them while we gather the rest of the ingredients.

Prep the cheese: Grate about ⅓ cup or 10 grams of Romano cheese. 

Prep the garlic: Rather than simply adding the garlic cloves to the food processor, grate or mince them first. Use 1-2 cloves, depending on your personal preference. 

How to Make Parsley Pesto

In the bowl of a food processor, add the minced garlic clove, ¾ cup of toasted walnuts, ⅓ cup Romano cheese, 2 cups of loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, ⅛ teaspoon of Kosher salt, and a pinch of black pepper. 

Pulse together for 30 seconds or until coarsely chopped. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

With the food processor on low, slowly drizzle ¼ cup of olive oil in the feed tube and run for 30-60 seconds or until desired consistency.

Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Tips

• Take care when toasting the chopped walnuts, as the process goes very quickly. You do not want burned nuts in the recipe. 
• Measure the fresh, whole parsley leaves by packing them loosely in your measuring cup. Be sure to remove the stems if tough.
• Adjust its thickness by adding more olive oil, depending on how you plan to use your pesto. 
• Freshly grated cheese always tastes better. 
• Replace the Romano cheese with Parmigiano Reggiano.
• If not using immediately, add about ½ teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice and drizzle olive oil over top before refrigerating.

FAQ

How to Use Pesto

Parsley pesto offers a versatile flavor for a wide variety of recipes and meals. Once you discover how much you love its taste, you may want to add it to everything.

It’s nearly impossible to list all the ways to use parsley pesto in your kitchen. Next time you have an overabundance of parsley from your garden or market bag, consider these options.

• It is a great alternative to tomato-based pasta sauce.
• Consider coating chicken breasts or lamb with a thin layer of parsley pesto sauce before baking or using it as a thick grilling marinade.
• Drizzle it on green beans, spoon it over roasted turnips or radishes, and mix it into casseroles before cooking. It works well anytime you want a unique Italian flavor.
• Stir a spoonful into your favorite soup or stew.
• Use it as a sandwich spread or dip for Italian focaccia bread.
• Dip crudités in it for a healthy snack or easy appetizer.
• Mix it in mashed potatoes, rice, or couscous for a flavorful side dish.
• Add a dollop to a frittata for a yummy brunch treat.
• Create a heartier dip by adding it to sour cream or yogurt.
• Combine it with a vinaigrette salad dressing for a more intense flavor.
• Add a few spoonfuls to risotto.
• Use it as a base to make a pesto pizza.

More Pesto Recipes

If you loved this parsley pesto, you might also enjoy these Italian-inspired variations. Each one a little different, all of them delicious and ready in 15 minutes or less.

Recipe Origins

One of the benefits of having a backyard garden is fresh produce that is easily available for experimentation. 

I remember making this parsley pesto as “an experiment” one summer because I had so much flat-leaf parsley!

Needless to say, it quickly became one of my go-to summer pesto recipes.

This scrumptious recipe works well with both fresh and frozen parsley. As it does not rely on the attractive shape of parsley leaves, chopped and frozen ingredients work quite well to add a unique herbal flavor and bright green color.

It is super easy to make, stores well in the refrigerator, and pairs well with a wide variety of meals, so you will always want some parsley pesto on hand for a lunchtime salad, a pasta side dish, or a main-dish sauce.

I hope you get a chance to try it. Enjoy! 

★★★★★ If you have made this parsley pesto recipe, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!

Recipe

I originally published this post on July 10, 2021, and republished it on June 6, 2024, and again on June 8, 2026, with updated content. Thanks for sharing.