Classic Italian Gremolata Recipe (3 Ingredient Parsley Sauce) (2024)

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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 Recipe (3 Ingredient Parsley Sauce) (1)

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.

Classic Italian Gremolata Recipe (3 Ingredient Parsley Sauce) (2)

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!

Classic Italian Gremolata Recipe (3 Ingredient Parsley Sauce) (3)More Italian Recipes

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

Italian Sausage Lasagna Soup

Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce

Chicken Parmigiana

Happy Cooking!

Love,

Karlynn

Classic Italian Gremolata Recipe (3 Ingredient Parsley Sauce) (4)

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Classic Italian Gremolata Recipe (3 Ingredient Parsley Sauce) (5)

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

Classic Italian Gremolata Recipe (3 Ingredient Parsley Sauce) (6)

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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 co*cktail 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!

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  1. Charlotte says

    Reply

    Oh thank God. I was just looking for a parsley sauce that was simple yet tasted good. Thank you.Classic Italian Gremolata Recipe (3 Ingredient Parsley Sauce) (11)

  2. Marc Evans says

    Reply

    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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Classic Italian Gremolata Recipe (3 Ingredient Parsley Sauce) (2024)

FAQs

What is gremolata sauce made of? ›

Gremolata is traditionally made with just three ingredients: flat-leaf parsley, fresh garlic, and lemon zest. You finely chop the parsley, then mix it with grated garlic and lemon zest (which work together to tame the bitter herb into gentle submission).

What is the difference between chimichurri and gremolata? ›

While gremolata only further mixes in a citrus zest for a bitter note, in a chimichurri, acid is a central component. Whether it's vinegar or citrus, this tang cuts through smokey and meat flavors and lends chimichurri its status as the perfect grilling accompaniment.

What is parsley sauce made of? ›

Parsley sauce is a quick and simple sauce that can be extremely delicious. This parsley sauce recipe is made of fresh parsley, butter, English mustard, milk, and flour. It's a great way to give a basic white sauce a gentle flavor and use an abundance of parsley.

What is gremolata in English? ›

Gremolata (Italian: [ɡremoˈlaːta]) or gremolada ( Italian: [ɡremoˈlaːda]; Lombard: [ɡremuˈlaːda]) is a green sauce made of chopped parsley, lemon zest, and garlic. It is the standard accompaniment to the Milanese braised veal shank dish ossobuco alla milanese.

What country is gremolata from? ›

Gremolata is an herby Italian dressing made with just three ingredients: chopped parsley, garlic, and lemon zest.

What is the difference between Italian parsley and regular parsley? ›

Flat-leaf parsley (Petroselinum crispum neapolitanum, also known as Italian parsley) has a more robust flavour and smoother mouthfeel than curly parsley (P. crispum), and is also easier to wash. Flat-leaf parsley surpassed its curly cousin as the green herb of choice about the turn of the last century.

Why do Italians use parsley? ›

Parsley is found commonly in seafood and vegetable sauces, and in most pasta dishes, sauces, and soups. It is appreciated in Italian cuisine for its complement to spicy dishes, and is used in bouquet garni – along with bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, and sage.

What is another name for a gremolata? ›

gremolata (also called gremolada) is an Italian chopped herb condiment or dressing made with lemon zest, chopped parsley, and garlic.

Is Italian parsley same as basil? ›

Although there are some similarities between basil and parsley they also have some key differences you should consider if substituting. Basil is a delicate herb that is often added at the end of cooking to add a sweet flavor. Parsley on the other hand is a more rough herb that has a bright, slightly bitter taste.

What is Italian parsley called? ›

Italian parsley, also known as flat-leaf parsley, is one of the main varieties used in cooking and as a garnish.

What is chimichurri sauce come from? ›

Chimichurri sauce hails from Uruguay and Argentina. It's commonly made with olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, red pepper flakes, finely chopped parsley, and dried or fresh oregano.

Does gremolata contain nuts? ›

A classic Italian mixture of parsley, garlic, lemon zest, along with some toasted pine nuts, all minced together to top fish, poultry, veggies or soups/stews.

What sauce is basil used in Italy? ›

Pesto is one of the sauces of the Italian culinary tradition typical of the Liguria region, a jagged arch on the sea, cradle of aromatic herbs. The original pesto is a cold sauce made from basil and cheese, enriched with pine nuts, garlic and extra virgin olive oil.

What sauce represents Italy? ›

Today there are many different recipes for tomato sauce – a symbol of Italian cuisine – based on the basic recipe of tomato and basil and including various ingredients such as vegetables and various herbs/spices.

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