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Gremolata

Gremolata is an Italian condiment made of parsley, garlic, and lemon zest. Sprinkle it over pasta, veggies, and more for a burst of fresh, bright flavor!
Prep Time10 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Servings: 4 to 6
Author: Love & Lemons

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch fresh parsley finely chopped (about ¾ cup)
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 1 clove garlic grated
  • ⅛ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, stir together the parsley, lemon zest, garlic, and salt.

Notes

Sources: The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters
How to Use Gremolata
In Italian cuisine, gremolata is often served over lamb or osso buco, braised veal shanks. But obviously, the ways to use it don’t end there! Start experimenting with it in your kitchen, and you’ll find that it goes well on almost anything. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
  • Sprinkle it over grilled veggies. We love it on grilled mushrooms, eggplant, and summer veggie skewers.
  • Or roasted veggies. Try it on cauliflower, asparagus, or Brussels sprouts.
  • Toss it with salads.
  • Sprinkle it over pasta. Try it on plain butter noodles, or add it to a roasted vegetable pasta or a pasta primavera.
  • Stir it into polenta with a pat of butter, or sub it in for the chimichurri in this mushroom polenta recipe.
  • Dust it onto a dip. Gussy up homemade hummus, baba ganoush, or white bean dip with a drizzle of olive oil and a little gremolata.
  • Or scatter it over a soup. I especially love it with brothy cannellini beans, potato leek soup, and classic minestrone.
Variations
This recipe is a fairly classic version of gremolata. While it’s the kind I make most often, I also like to play with it depending on what I’m serving or what ingredients I have on hand. I hope you have fun making it your own, too. Here are a few ways I like to change it up:
  • Switch the herb. No parsley? No problem. Make a version of gremolata with another soft, leafy herb such as cilantro, basil, or mint.
  • Change the zest. Try using orange or lime instead of lemon.
  • Add another ingredient. Stir in chopped pine nuts to add crunch or finely grated Parmesan or finely minced capers for salty, savory flavor.