Fresh Parsley Pesto

12/26/2016
Serves countless foodies
Equipment
food processor
Prep time
20m

This is the pesto referenced in the recipe for Vidalia onion soup, but I’m making it a stand-alone recipe because it is a stand-alone dish!  You can and should use this pesto in every way that you would use basil pesto: as a spread on toast or a sandwich, on pasta and pizza, melted onto a chicken breast, steak, or burger, and of course, as a flavor-packing punch to any bowl of soup!  My stepson loves to add it to an otherwise bland egg sandwich for breakfast.  I also use a big heaping spoonful of this pesto to mix into the ricotta layer of lasagna and right into my meatball mixture!  It has all of the things you want to add, already chopped and blended: parsley, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, cheese– this is an all purpose flavor saver!  It freezes well, too, so don’t be afraid of having too much.

By the way, this is also the recipe for basil pesto (just substitute basil for parsley) and kale pesto (substitute kale for parsley and hazelnuts for pine nuts) too.  Pesto is pesto, my friends.  Make it how you like it: love garlic?  Add more.  Don’t like it cheesy?  Add less.  Want it thinner?  Add more oil.  You get the idea.


Ingredients

  • 3-4
    large bunches flat leaf parsley
  • 4-5
    large garlic cloves
  • 1/2 Cup
    pine nuts
  • 1 Cup
    grated parmesan cheese
  • Juice from one lemon
  • 1/2 Cup
    extra virgin olive oil
  • to taste
    salt & pepper

Instructions

  1. Thoroughly wash and lay your parsley out to dry. Pack it loosely into your food processor with the regular blade.

  2. Add pine nuts and peeled garlic cloves. Pulse a few times.

  3. Add cheese and lemon juice, salt and pepper. Pulse a few times more.

  4. With the lid sealed onto the food processor, remove the plunger so that you can slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl while you are pulsing now, until all the ingredients are blended and the mixture becomes smooth and creamy.

  5. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go, so that all of the ingredients are able to blend evenly.

  6. Pulse and add oil until desired consistency.

Nutrition: Exceptionally healthy in every way.

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