Gremolata is a wildly flavorful herbaceous condiment with a chameleon-like character that adds pop to almost any savory dish. The basic version is made of three ingredients: parsley, garlic, and lemon zest, but as you’ll see, it was made for riffing.
Here, it’s enriched with pistachios. You’ll relish how it tastes and love how easy and quick it is to make this hybrid sauce-topping-dressing.

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Ingredients
- Parsley
- Pistachios
- Garlic
- Lemons
- Olive oil
- Salt (optional)
🌿Parsley: Please choose flat-leaf (Italian) parsley rather than the curly sort. It will have a better flavor. You can also combine parsley with any herbs in the refrigerator that are on the verge of disintegration.
Pistachios: Whether you use dry roasted nuts or raw pistachios, toast them in the oven or a dry skillet. You can swap in other nuts or seeds like Pepitas or pine nuts. Read this for more advice on how to substitute with nuts and seeds.
🧄Garlic: I have only tested the recipe with fresh garlic. To prevent bitter flavors, please remove any green sprouts.
🍋Lemons: For zest. Avoid grating the white pith under the yellow exterior because it is very acrid. I love my Microplane lemon zester.
Olive oil: Flavor matters! So, pull out an extra-virgin oil that has a distinct and enjoyable taste.
🧂Salt: Fine sea salt is best if you choose to add it to the recipe. Only a pinch is necessary. With the strong flavors of the herbs, lemon, and garlic, you may not need it. The fine sea salt from the folks at Baleine is amazingly good.
How to Make
🙌🏽Before starting the recipe, wash hands, lathering with soap and rinsing with running warm water.
1️⃣ Chop the parsley with a chef’s knife or in a food processor, and scrape it into a medium bowl.
2️⃣ Grind the pistachios in a food processor or place them in a plastic bag and pound them gently with a meat mallet until they are in tiny bits.
If you use a food processor, make sure that the pistachios don’t turn to butter. Add them to the bowl with the parsley.
3️⃣ and 4️⃣ Over the parsley-pistachio mixture, grate a clove of garlic and then, the yellow rind of a lemon.
5️⃣ and 6️⃣ Add the olive oil and salt, if using. Stir thoroughly and mix the ingredients together.
Serve as a topping for a savory main course, such as grilled or baked fish or chicken, pasta, risotto, soups and stews.
It is also a delicious accompaniment to a loaf of crusty bread (see photo above). Add more olive oil to the gremolata and place it on the table with a spoon. Guests love it!
Prep tips
A food processor is quicker for chopping the parsley and the nuts, but it can also make the texture of the gremolata very uniform and smooth. The condiment is better when it has texture and some chunkiness.
Watch carefully so that the blades don't make the parsley leaves superfine and bruised. It helps to start with very dry herbs.
The processor can also make butter instead of bits out of the nuts. Because pistachios are lower in fat, this might take a long time. But, if you use pine nuts, beware!
(😍Love butter from nuts and seeds? Try my two-ingredient Macadamia Nut Butter and yummy Chocolate Pumpkin Seed Butter.)
⚠️Caution: This dish contains raw garlic, which can be very strong! Be moderate, and don't overdo it!
❄️Storage
Gremolata keeps for about a week in the refrigerator in an airtight container. It will darken in color, but it will still taste delicious!
All About Gremolata and How to Use it
Traditionally, gremolata is a lively herbal complement to osso buco and other braises, such as lamb shanks.
This quick, no-cook condiment, however, is perfect in the summer. Here are a few ideas:
- Sprinkle over simple flatbreads or pizzas (did this the other night with a mushroom flatbread–delish!)
- Add more extra virgin olive oil to make a dip and topping for bread or crostini
- Stir it into pasta or polenta
- Sprinkle it on grilled or roasted vegetables
- Scatter it across a bowl of soup 🍲
- Enhance grilled proteins, such as fish, shrimp or skinless, boneless chicken
- Use as an extra layer of flavor in white bean or regular hummus
- Mix it with labneh or Greek yogurt (may need to add salt) to make a dip
Variations
Here’s a basic formula for riffing depending on what herbs you have in your garden or fridge, and what kinds of citrus. Add nuts, vinegars, and oils–whatever makes you happy.
Herb + garlic + citrus zest = basic gremolata formula
▶ Pesto-like variation (easier than pesto sauce):
¼ cup basil + ¼ cup parsley + 2 Tablespoons pine nuts + garlic clove + lemon zest + 2 Tablespoons EVOO
▶ Orange Sage:
¼ cup sage + ¼ cup parsley + zest of one orange + garlic clove + pinch salt + 1 Tablespoon each white balsamic vinegar and EVOO
▶ Mint (this is great in the summer when mint runs rampant in the garden):
½ cup parsley + ¼ cup mint + zest of one lemon + garlic clove + pinch of salt
Add extra virgin olive oil to this if serving as a sauce for grilled lamb chops or salmon.
Breadcrumb gremolata recipe (for pasta, especially)
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ cup parsley, minced
- ⅓ cup fresh breadcrumbs
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add parsley and mix with garlic. Add breadcrumbs and cook until mixture is slightly toasted. Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon zest.
Use your imagination and whatever you have on hand to make your own variation. Oregano and parsley are naturals with garlic and lemon. Chive, garlic, and orange or lemon zest would surely be excellent with eggs.
FAQ
They are both parsley-based, but the origins of gremolata are Italian, while chimichurri is a sauce from Argentina. Gremolata originated as a dry, green condiment while chimichurri is truly a sauce with oil, vinegar, and red pepper flakes.
Italian salsa verde contains anchovies, and a number of other ingredients in addition to parsley and garlic. It is quite different, also, from the tomatillo-based Mexican salsa verde.
Gremolata and persillade, a French parsley-garlic condiment, are very closely related, just as Italy and France are geographically close to each other. The main difference is that persillade does not contain lemon zest.
Both are used as a finish for dishes and often, breadcrumbs are added to each.
Pistou is a French condiment from Provence made from basil, olive oil, and garlic. It resembles pesto sauce more closely than gremolata and often has Parmesan or Gouda cheese and tomatoes added to it. It lacks parsley.
Is Gremolata Healthy?
Since garlic, parsley, and lemons are all foods that have many benefits for overall wellness, the answer is yes, of course.
You can read about garlic, which contains many salutary chemicals like allicins that have proven benefits for health.
Parsley, too, is a sort of superpower when it comes to health.
It is an excellent source of the following nutrients:
- Iron
- Folate (vitamin B9)
- Potassium
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin K
It is a good source of calcium, magnesium, and zinc. It also contains B vitamins, choline, vitamin E, manganese, and selenium. Plus, it is loaded with antioxidants beta carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin.
The latter antioxidants are particularly important for eye health.
These are all micronutrients, but it should be mentioned that parsley has some protein, a macronutrient.
Nutrition terms: What do they mean?
- Good source: Provides at least 10% to 19% of the Daily Value of a particular vitamin or nutrient per serving.
- Excellent source: Provides at least 20% or more of the Daily Value of a particular vitamin or nutrient per serving.
From the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND)
Pistachios
Of course, pistachios are healthy, too. They have less fat than other nuts, plus they are particularly rich in phytosterols. These plant-based estrogens may help lower your risk of heart disease and stroke.
Other recipes you might like…
Pistachio Gremolata would be a wonderful topping for Parmesan Garlic Chicken Thighs.
If you feel like food tastes better with herbs (I do!), try this lovely Lemon Basil Vinaigrette. This simple, versatile salad dressing tastes great with leafy greens and does double-duty as saucing for grains and plain proteins like shrimp and chicken.
If pesto sauce is a favorite, this cilantro pumpkin seed version is a nice change of pace and perfect for anyone with allergies to nuts.
Do you want to see how gremolata tastes on pasta? It would definitely punch up this easy spaghetti with a light and silky tomato sauce from Napoli.
Pistachio Gremolata
Equipment
- Meat mallet (optional)
- zip bag small
Ingredients
- ½ cup flat-leaf parsley, loosely packed, including tender stems
- ⅓ cup pistachios, roasted
- 1 clove garlic Use 2 if they are small.
- 1½ teaspoons lemon zest, from one lemon
- pinch salt (optional) Use a fine-textured variety, such as sea salt.
Instructions
- Wash hands thoroughly for 20 seconds, lathering with soap and rinsing under running water.
- Finely chop parsley on a cutting board or use a food processor to mince. Scrape parsley into a medium bowl or container.
- Place pistachios in a plastic zip bag. Crush them on a cutting board with a meat mallet. You can also chop them in a food processor, taking care not to process them into butter.Add the nuts to the parsley.
- Grate the garlic clove over the parsley-pistachio mixture.
- Zest one lemon into the mixture, and add a pinch of fine salt.
- Thoroughly mix all ingredients.
- Serve sprinkled over pasta, fish, soups and stews, roasted and grilled vegetables. It adds color, texture, and amazing flavor to a large variety of savory foods!
Notes
Nutrition
Copyright © 2024 Jani H. Leuschel
Jani H. Leuschel
I enjoyed it that way last night. I added an extra Tablespoon of olive oil, and it was perfect. ☺️
Ruth
Sounds so easy and delicious! Thanks Jani!
Ruth
Sounds yummy and easy!! Thanks—it would be delicious on sour dough!