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Green Garlic Pesto

A vibrant, silky, and snap-ready pesto made from fresh green garlic stalks, parsley, nuts, and cheese. This versatile sauce can dress pasta, pizza, sandwiches, dips, and spring sides, preserving bright flavor and color with minimal prep. Quick to blend, easy to store, and perfect for elevating weeknight meals.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings: 4 Servings
Course: Condiment, Sauce, Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian, Mediterranean
Calories: 120
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup green garlic stalks and tender leaves chopped
  • 1 cup fresh parsley leaves optional: mix with ½ cup spinach for milder flavor
  • 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
  • 1/3 –1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Optional: 1 tablespoon water or a squeeze of lemon juice to adjust texture

Method
 

  1. In a food processor, combine chopped greens, nuts, and cheese. Add salt and black pepper. Pulse 10–15 times, scraping sides to ensure even blending.
  2. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in olive oil until the mixture becomes smooth and cohesive. Adjust thickness with a tablespoon of water or a squeeze of lemon if needed.
  3. Let the pesto sit in a bowl while you cook pasta or prepare dishes to allow flavors to meld. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, or acidity as needed.
  4. Use immediately over pasta, pizza, sandwiches, dips, or vegetables. For pasta, toss hot noodles with sauce and 1–2 tablespoons reserved cooking water. For pizza, add fresh pesto after baking.

Notes

For milder flavor or less spicy bite, blend in extra tender greens like spinach. Substitute walnuts for pine nuts, or Pecorino for Parmesan, depending on taste. Store in airtight jars with an olive oil seal in the fridge for 2 weeks; freeze in ice cube trays for up to 6 months. Thaw frozen cubes quickly in hot pasta water, then refresh with a drizzle of olive oil. Dress hot food immediately off the heat to preserve bright green color and fresh flavor.