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Classic Italian Gremolata Recipe (3 Ingredient Parsley Sauce)

5 from 3 votes
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This simple 3 ingredient Italian recipe sure packs a big punch!  If you’re looking to give your dish an Italian twist, Classic Italian Gremolata is the perfect accompaniment. This is an incredibly flavorful addition to everything from pasta to fish, chicken, vegetables, risotto, and an array of dishes! Whatever the dish – even noodles – Gremolata will take it from basic to beyond delicious in just a few minutes!

Classic Italian Gremolata in a pink saucer plate. 2 pieces of lemon, garlic head and parsley stems on background

Classic Italian Gremolata Recipe

In Italian tradition, Italian Gremolata is traditionally served on osso buco which originates from Milan, but as I’ve said, it goes with so many dishes you’ll never run out of new options to try! This recipe really is a superb way to enhance any dish with its bright flavor and dart of color. And the best thing about it? All you need to make this recipe is some parsley, garlic, and lemon zest! 

Ingredients in Gremolata

  • parsley, coarsely chopped
  • garlic, minced
  • lemon, organic is best
  • lemon juice
  • salt

How To Make Classic Italian Gremolata (a 3 Ingredient Parsley Sauce)

  1. Make sure your knife is sharpened before finely chopping up the parsley and garlic together. Having a super sharp knife will make sure you make clean cuts through the parsley leaves so you’re not just banging at them with a dulled knife blade.
  2. Add the lemon zest and keep chopping the ingredients up until they’re completely combined and the size you want for serving, i.e. do you want more texture or more of a sauce consistency?
  3. Add in some lemon juice to taste as soon as you’re happy with the texture. I also like to add some sea salt which really isn’t the norm with this dish but I think it makes it just perfect and brings out all the flavor of the ingredients.

 

close up Classic Italian Gremolata in a pink saucer plate a, lemon and garlic head on background

Tips And Tricks For Making Gremolata 

  • Pick up some organic lemon if you can since you’ll only be using the zest of it.
  • Get your garlic as fresh a possible, look for garlic with a white color rather than the yellow and sticky appearance it gets as it ages. The darker garlic will also have a stronger smell that’s actually a little off-putting, whilst fresh garlic will be plump with a smell that’s definitely garlicky but still fresh. If you get stuck with older garlic, though, don’t worry, there’s a solution (been there!). Just remove the stem and blanch it in boiling water for a few minutes to take the edge off the taste.
  • Although parsley, lemon, and garlic are the classic staples of this dish, you can always change it up depending on your preferences and the dish you’re serving it with. For example, you could swap the garlic for shallots or lemon for lime. You could even mix in some other fresh herbs like tarragon with parsley,
  • Gremolata can be kept refrigerated for several days once you keep it in an airtight container!

getting some Italian Gremolata from pink saucer plate using a spoonMore Italian Recipes

These recipes are ALL favorites of ours! I especially love the bolognese and the parmigiana!

Italian Sausage Lasagna Soup

Slow Cooker Italian Pot Roast & Peppers

Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce

Chicken Parmigiana

Happy Cooking!

Love,

Karlynn

 

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This easy Italian Gremolata recipe is made with three ingredients and is perfect for a fresh tasty topping on lamb, fish and many other dishes.

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Classic Italian Gremolata Recipe (3 Ingredient Parsley Sauce)

This easy Italian Gremolata recipe is made with three ingredients and is perfect for a fresh tasty topping on lamb, fish and many other dishes.
5 from 3 votes
getting some Italian Gremolata from pink saucer plate using a spoon
Prep Time
15 minutes
Servings
4
Calories
19
Author
Karlynn Johnston

Ingredients
 

  • 1 cup coarsely chopped parsley
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic ( around 3-4 cloves depending on the size)
  • 1 organic lemon washed and dried then the entire peel zested
  • lemon juice to taste
  • salt to taste

Instructions
 

  • Chop the parsley and garlic together until they're both chopped up together finely.
  • Add in the lemon zest and then continue to chop the the ingredients together until they are well-combined and are the size that you desire for serving. I don't like mine like a sauce, I like some texture to my gremolata.
  • Once you have reached the desired texture, add in some lemon juice to taste.
  • Now, this is NOT traditional, but I added sea salt to mine and it makes it perfect. Add a little salt to taste to bring out the best of these fresh ingredients.

Recipe Notes

If you want a drier gremolata you can spread it out and then bake it on a cookie sheet at a low temperature. I prefer mine to be almost a sauce, with a lot of texture. 

Nutrition Information

Calories: 19kcal, Carbohydrates: 5g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 10mg, Potassium: 136mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 1264IU, Vitamin C: 36mg, Calcium: 35mg, Iron: 1mg

All calories and info are based on a third party calculator and are only an estimate. Actual nutritional info will vary with brands used, your measuring methods, portion sizes and more.

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Karlynn Johnston

I’m a busy mom of two, wife & cookbook author who loves creating fast, fresh meals for my little family on the Canadian prairies. Karlynn Facts: I'm allergic to broccoli. I've never met a cocktail that I didn't like. I would rather burn down my house than clean it. Most of all, I love helping YOU get dinner ready because there's nothing more important than connecting with our loved ones around the dinner table!

Learn more about me

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  1. Charlotte says

    Oh thank God. I was just looking for a parsley sauce that was simple yet tasted good. Thank you.5 stars

  2. Marc Evans says

    Your website is overcrowded with ads. Between the interspersed still ads and the videos, it’s barely useful anymore, and very annoying. Have been a big fan until now.

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