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Basil and Parsley Pesto

Name: Basil and Parsley Pesto
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 1-1/4 cups.
Cuisine: Europe, Italian
Ingredients: 2 cups loosely packed basil leaves; 1 cup loosely packed Italian parsley; 1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted; 2 garlic cloves; 4 teaspoons grated lemon zest; 1/3 cup lemon juice; 2 tablespoons honey; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 cup olive oil; 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

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Test Kitchen Approved

Total Time

Prep/Total Time: 15 min.

Makes

1-1/4 cups

Toss this parsley pesto with pasta, spread it over sandwiches or try it in one of these creative recipes using pesto. It's also delicious stirred into an Italian-style soup, like minestrone. —Lorraine Fina Stevenski, Land O’ Lakes, Florida

Basil and Parsley Pesto Recipe photo by Taste of Home

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Ingredients

2 cups loosely packed basil leaves
1 cup loosely packed Italian parsley
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
2 garlic cloves
4 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Place basil, parsley, almonds and garlic in a small food processor; pulse until chopped. Add lemon zest, juice, honey and salt; process until blended. Continue processing while gradually adding oil in a steady stream. Add cheese; pulse just until blended.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Freeze option: Transfer pesto to ice cube trays; cover and freeze pesto until firm. Remove from trays and transfer to a resealable plastic freezer bag; return to freezer. To use, thaw cubes in refrigerator 2 hours.

Parsley Pesto Recipe Tips

How do you freeze parsley pesto?

To freeze this parsley pesto, transfer it into an ice cube tray, then cover and freeze it. Once the pesto is fully frozen, remove it from the tray, transfer it into a resealable plastic freezer bag, and return it to the freezer. To freeze it in a large batch, make sure to leave a 3/4-inch space at the top of the container, then add a thin layer of olive oil to prevent the pesto from browning. To use frozen parsley pesto, thaw it in the refrigerator for 2 hours before adding it to your pan with a dash of oil.

How do you make pesto not bitter?

If you find your pesto to be too bitter, try upping the Parmesan, lemon or salt. Overmixing can also sometimes cause bitterness, so only blend until all of the ingredients are combined in the food processor.

What else can I do with lots of parsley?

If you find yourself with an abundance of parsley, try making some recipes that use parsley, like our Cheese and Fresh Herb Quiche. You can also freeze fresh parsley to use later—here's how to freeze herbs.

Research contributed by Maggie Knoebel, Taste of Home Culinary Assistant

Nutrition Facts

2 tablespoons: 148 calories, 13g fat (2g saturated fat), 3mg cholesterol, 195mg sodium, 6g carbohydrate (4g sugars, 1g fiber), 2g protein.