Part of the fun of growing your own Italian herb garden is going outside and picking fresh herbs as you need them in recipes. This is really my favorite part.
From your Italian Herb Garden, to your Italian, or just about any other, kitchen, Italian Parsley is indeed a very versatile herb.
Parsley is a staple in so many Italian savory recipes. And as such, I wanted to showcase my favorite use for Italian Parsley in my kitchen. Hope you enjoy it too.
My favorite recipe using Italian parsley in the kitchen is my daughter’s non-recipe for pesto. My daughter loves Italian food, and was craving pasta with pesto sauce. She wanted to make her own pesto, but the basil was in short supply in the garden. I picked whatever basil I could, and picked fresh parsley to round out the bunch.
When she got the herbs, she just went to it, chopping up the basil, parsley and garlic. And the end result was wonderful! Not as smooth as grinding in a mortar and pestle, or in a food processor, but it taught me a lesson that: it doesn’t have to be made with the ‘perfect appliance’ to taste really good.
Quantities in a pesto recipe are so forgiving, that you can use what you have and adjust to your taste preference.
If you already have a favorite pesto recipe, substitute all or part of the basil with Italian flat-leaf parsley. It provides a wonderful, fresh flavor to the pesto.
Here’s Natalie’s non-recipe for pesto:
Natalie’s Parsley and Basil Pesto
No food processor, no mortar and pestle required.
The quantities are a guideline. You can adjust them to taste and availability.
1 generous bunch mixed Italian flat-leaf parsley and basil – you can also use all parsley or all basil
1 clove garlic (or 2, or 3, or…..–> OK, we never use just 1 clove in our family)
Extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Pine Nuts – optional. Natalie does not add pine nuts to her pesto
Finely chop the Italian parsley, basil and garlic. And a handful of pine nuts, if using.
If you want a finer result, sprinkle a little bit of salt on the cutting board while chopping to help the ingredients break down. If you smash up the garlic and pine nuts before chopping with the rest of the ingredients, they will incorporate faster, and the pounding is therapeutic on a stressful day.
By all means, if you prefer to use a mortar and pestle or your food processor, they work great in breaking down the ingredients into a smoother pesto sauce.
Once you have everything chopped finely, pour in enough olive oil to make a paste.
Mix in parmesan cheese. This quantity, too, is not cast in stone. If you like more, add more. If there’s only a bit leftover from a previous meal, add that. If you are not a cheese person, leave it out altogether.
If the mixture is too thick, stir in a bit more olive oil.
Optional: Season with salt and pepper. Taste first, because the pesto may be salty enough from the parmesan cheese, and you may have added salt when chopping the ingredients.
That’s it! Fresh pesto from Italian parsley and basil picked from your own herb garden.
Variations:
- Omit parmesan cheese for a stronger, brighter herb flavor
- Use romano cheese rather than parmesan cheese
- Omit pine nuts
- Replace pine nuts with almonds, walnuts, or pistachios
- Change-up the herbs used. Suggestions:
parsley and cilantro
parsley, basil, mint
parsley and tarragon
Pesto is very versatile. Here are some ways we use it in our kitchen:
- Mix into freshly cooked pasta
- Toss with cooked chicken
- Better yet, mix with chicken and pasta for a meal
- Serve alongside roasted or barbecued meats
- Omit the cheese from an all-parsley pesto, and toss with shrimp or scallops
- Spread on baguette slices and toast lightly for a tasty appetizer
Making your own pesto is very easy, it’s a super way to save money, and the taste is wonderfully fresh. You can adjust the ingredients to suit your taste, and use the freshest herbs in season from your Italian herb garden.
Buon appetito!
Happy growing,
Herb Garden Gal
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