This walnut gremolata came to be because I had all the ingredients for a pesto on hand, and planned to make pesto, but alas, I didn’t want to dirty up my Blendtec blender. Being a private chef and culinary educator inevitably means LOTS of dishes, so when I’m cooking at home ease is most welcome.
Enter walnut gremolata.
The definition of a gremolata is this…
A dressing or garnish made with chopped parsley, garlic, and grated lemon zest, served as an accompaniment to meat or fish.
So it’s kind of like a deconstructed pesto…with the addition parmesan and walnuts; and when I say this is an easy recipe, I mean E-A-S-Y!
All you do is chop everything together on a cutting board, that’s it. Seriously.
Gremolata 101: Make It Your Own
- Now, by definition a gremolata is made with parsley, but I challenge you to use other herbs and see what you like. That’s the beauty of cooking it’s hard to ruin something, so get creative. For instance, this recipe is with basil 😉
- Again, by definition this recipe doesn’t have nuts, but nuts change the dynamic of this garnish completely; giving texture and flavour that cannot be beat.
Using Gremolata
Gremolata is a garnish, it’s a dressing (with the addition of oil and vinegar), hell, it’s even an interesting addition to a charcuterie board or tossed into pasta. Anywhere you use salad dressing, salsa, bruschetta and the like, you can use this recipe.
Enjoy
xoxo
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Easy Walnut Gremolata
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- zest of 2 lemons
- 1/2 cup raw walnuts
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan
- 1/2 tsp salt
On a cutting board, gather all ingredients and chop together to well combine all the ingredients. Once your desired crumb size is achieved, store in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to 1 week!