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Home ยป Walnut Parsley Pesto Recipe

March 30, 2024 Sauces and Dressings

Walnut Parsley Pesto Recipe

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Walnut parsley pesto is a refreshing twist on the traditional pesto recipe. I came across this when I was listening to a Prue Leith interview. She called it an English pesto. The parsley pesto recipe contains cheddar cheese instead of the traditional parmesan cheese. The parsley gives the pesto a fresh taste and is not overwhelming. It goes great with pasta and, as my family likes, on crackers or vegetables. I personally love trying new pesto recipes and this one is a favorite of mine.

The cheddar in the walnut parsley pesto

I used a new york sharp cheddar cheese with this pesto recipe. New York cheddar has a bolder taste and I thought that would help the cheddar flavor not get lost. There are cheddar blends out there but a true cheddar taste would be a good choice. The cheddar taste is bold and delicious! If you purchase cheddar cheese that is already shredded, a celulose is added so the cheese will not stick together. I find it better to take the extra time to shred the cheese yourself.

The rest of the ingredients for the pesto

The walnuts are best when roasted. Roasting only takes 5-7 minutes in the oven. The flavor that is added with roasting the walnuts is very pleasant. The parsley can be added stem and all into the food processor. One bit of advice is to cut the stem to a fine dice and just roughly chop the leaves. Oh, the garlic. My wife, Gayle, and I have different opinions on whether to use one garlic clove or two. I will leave that up to you. We made ours with two cloves which was Gayle’s choice. Lastly, just use a good olive oil to bring the walnut parsley pesto together. Olive oil is what I used but try out other oils. Grapeseed or avocado oils would work out fine.

Serving

Pesto works great a dip, a spread on a sandwich, or with pasta. My suggestion would be to experiment with different cheeses, nuts, and greens. There are many combinations when it comes to making pesto. Make it your own!

Try my basil pistachio pesto for another twist on traditional pesto.

cheddar parsley pesto recipe made with cheddar cheese, olive oil, and garlic. The pesto is served on bagel rounds. Recipe from cleveland cooking

Walnut Parsley Pesto

Course: Appetizer, dinner, lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: easy dip, walnuts
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes minutes
Total Time: 22 minutes minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 275kcal
Author: clevelandcooking
Walnut parsley pesto is a twist on the traditional pesto recipe. The parsley pesto has cheddar cheese instead of traditional parmesan cheese.
Print Recipe

Equipment

  • 1 food processor or blender

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound cheddar
  • 1 cup roasted walnuts
  • 2 cloves diced garlic
  • 1 cup italian parsley add stems too.
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 cup olive oil see notes

Instructions

  • Roast the walnuts on a parchment lined baking sheet at 350 degrees F for 5-7 minutes.
  • Add cheese, garlic, parsley, walnuts, and sea salt to the food processor and blend into a thick paste.
  • In a steady stream, pour the olive oil in while the processor is running. Process until the desired thickness is achieved.

Notes

Each serving size is calculated at 1/4 cup.
The amount of olive oil may vary from 1/4-1/3 cup.
You can also substitute grape seed oil for olive oil if you would like a lighter finish.
Be sure to add more cheese or walnuts if you please. Make it your own!

Nutrition

Serving: 8 servings | Calories: 275kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 336mg | Potassium: 131mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 919IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 227mg | Iron: 1mg

Categories: Sauces and Dressings

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