Gremolata

Gremolata

10 min
If you are looking for a tasty topping to brighten different dishes, look no further than this recipe for gremolata. This herby sauce made from parsley, garlic, lemon zest, and salted almonds is a wonderful way to introduce freshness to any meal. The vibrant and colourful topping is incredibly quick to make and keeps well so you can enjoy it for many different dishes throughout the week.
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Instructions

  • Mix all the ingredients and serve the gremolata.
Enjoy!
Tips

If you want to make a big batch, perhaps to freeze some for a later time, you will be delighted to know that you can use a food processor or blender to do so. Simply place the un-chopped parsley, garlic, lemon zest, and almonds in the machine and pulse the ingredients until you are satisfied with the consistency.

Tips

Using a food processor or blender to make the condiment may make it more sauce-like and closer in resemblance to pesto or chimichurri in consistency as the parsley releases more liquid when blended.

Questions about gremolata

The best gremolata recipe gives you a vibrant, flavour-packed sauce that can be used to brighten a multitude of dishes, and fortunately, ours is no different. To learn more about the Italian classic, read our answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about it below.

What is gremolata?
Gremolata is an Italian green sauce. Like most green sauces, other popular ones being salsa verde and chimichurri, it is served cold and uncooked and consists mostly of chopped herbs. More specifically, this sauce is made with chopped flat-leaved parsley with lemon zest, minced garlic, and salted almonds. It may be used to top off a range of very different dishes ranging from breakfast eggs and soup to pasta and grilled meat.
How to make gremolata?
Making lemon parsley gremolata is incredibly easy. Chop lemon zest and garlic finely and parsley and salted almonds coarsely. Then simply combine the ingredients in a bowl; the green sauce is now ready to be enjoyed! If you would like it to be more liquid in texture, you can opt for a blender or food processor rather than chopping it all by hand.
Can you freeze gremolata?
Yes, you can freeze gremolata! The green sauce will keep for up to 2 months in the freezer. For ease, you can choose to freeze it in a covered ice cube tray, so you only need to remove the amount you are planning to use from the freezer each time. The frozen gremolata may be added directly to hot dishes like soup, stew, or pasta for flavour, or you can thaw it in the refrigerator or on your countertop if you want to use it as a topping.
Can you make gremolata in advance?
If refrigerated, homemade gremolata will keep for up to 7 days and may, as such, be prepared in advance. Just make sure to store it in an airtight container. Like other sauces and soups, the flavours may become more pronounced after a few days as it infuses. As such, you might like to use a bit less garlic if you prepare it days in advance as the raw garlic's flavour becomes quite pronounced over time.

Ingredients

Coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 dl
Crushed garlic clove
1
Finely grated lemon zest (organic)
2 tsp
Coarsely chopped salted almonds
25 g

Gremolata – herby and zesty Italian sauce

Perfect for a variety of breakfast, lunch, and dinner dishes, our lemon gremolata is packed with flavour! The finely grated lemon zest adds texture as well as an intense, tangy lemon flavour without making the topping bitter. It underscores the citrusy undertones in the fresh parsley and makes the herb's flavour even brighter. The acidity of the lemon zest also ensures that the pungent, raw garlic in this herby garlic sauce does not become overpowering but rather allows its spiciness to shine through, making for a balanced green sauce.

Green sauce with parsley and garlic

The combination of earthy parsley and tart, fresh garlic is a well-loved one and it is no wonder why. Parsley naturally has peppery hints hidden in its flavour profile that finely minced raw garlic helps bring forward. As such, the pairing at the heart of this garlic gremolata is lively and spicy. Especially the garlic is what makes it so delicious with different dishes, especially grilled meat and vegetables that you would often pair with garlic to give a more complex and pungent flavour.

Classic gremolata with salted almonds

For our take on the classic almond gremolata, we have chosen to add salted almonds rather than regular ones. This twist adds a lovely saltiness to the herby green sauce in addition to the nuttiness the almonds, of course, bring to it. The chopped almonds give the herby condiment a delicious crunch that mirrors that of the fresh parsley and sets this topping apart from other green sauces.

How to use gremolata sauce

This colourful and versatile herb sauce may be used to round off a lot of very different dishes. As such, you can use it on top of scrambled eggs, poached or grilled fish, chicken, grilled vegetables like asparagus and green beans, in soups, stews, or pasta dishes like the very popular cacio e pepe, or on grilled meat like beef or lamb.

These are just some of the many uses to consider after tasting just how delicious this Italian sauce is and how much brightness and freshness it can bring to a dish.

Add your own touch

A traditional gremolata always has lemon zest, garlic, and parsley, so if you keep these core ingredients, you can always add other ingredients to mix up the flavour profile. Use, for instance, grated parmesan cheese and toasted pine nuts instead of salted almonds, and experiment with adding herbs like fresh mint, basil, coriander, and sage to the flat-leaf parsley.

A way to add a sweet tanginess and additional brightness is to use the popular Middle Eastern spice sumac as well as a bit of lemon juice. This combination will bring a fruitiness to the tasty topping that pairs well with its herbaceous and tart flavour profile.

For a spicier rendition that would be perfect for shredded beef tacos, take inspiration from the Mexican salsa verde and use finely grated jalapeño and tomatillo to bring some heat to the zesty sauce. The combination makes for a true flavour explosion but to avoid making it too overpowering, remember to remove the white pith from the chillies.