Enjoy pesto? Try this parsley pesto recipe instead of traditional basil. It’s wonderful and fragrant on noodles or pasta. Parsley Pesto Recipe with Soba Noodles in bowl

Parsley Pesto Recipe with Soba Noodles

Margaret Roach walked away, and not for her morning hit of caffeine, but from a highly success career as Editorial Director in bustling New York City and traded it all for peace and solitude in the rural town of 300. She took the chance, and found the courage to take care of herself first and left it all for more time digging in the dirt, working in the garden and finding the tranquility that she craved so long for.

dry soba noodles

A Way to Garden Book

cookbook away to garden coverMargaret is a renaissance woman, an artist, a crafter, and gardener who has found her peace by doing everything that she loves and shares it on her New York Times award winning garden blog, A Way To Garden.

This book is the perfect feast for anyone looking to find inspiration and focus back in life. This parsley pesto recipe is inspired by Margaret, from one of her many valuable posts on cooking from the garden. Parsley is often overlooked when it comes to pesto. And reading her post was a such a refreshing change from basil pesto.

If you love pesto, you will love this parsley pesto recipe. It’s so simple, fresh and full of flavor, you won’t miss the basil at all. You can use any type of noodle or pasta that you prefer, but our choice was buckwheat soba noodles. With Spring approaching, it felt so appropriate to prepare the parsley pesto with something delicate and healthy to bring in the new, revitalizing weather.

fresh parsley

Parsley Pesto Recipe with Soba Noodles or Pasta

Parsley Pesto Recipe with Soba Noodles with chopsticks

Soba with Parsley Pesto Recipe

We love the bite and buckwheat taste of the soba noodles with the parsley pesto, but feel free to substitute whichever pasta you have on hand. The sauce would also be great for dressing chicken, fish, or on salads. *If you have raw pine nuts, to toast, heat a dry pan over medium heat, add pine nuts and toast until golden, shaking the pan frequently to help pine nuts toast evenly. Can be served at warm or at room temperature, depending on your preference.  If serving warm, make sauce first.
5 from 3 votes

Ingredients

  • 12 oz. dried Soba Noodles
  • 3/4 cup roughly chopped Italian Parsley (flat leaf parsley)
  • 2 Tablespoons Pine Nuts , toasted *see head note
  • 2 cloves Garlic
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh Lemon Juice
  • 1/2 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
  • 3 Tablespoons Grape Seed Oil , or other neutral tasting oil

Instructions 

  • Cook soba: Heat a large pot of water to a boil.  Add soba noodles, stir as they soften, and bring water back up to a simmer (not a boil). Simmer for 6-7 minutes or according to package directions. Noodles should still have a slight firmness, and not be mushy.
  • Strain soba and rinse well using the correct water temperature. *If serving warm, rinse under hot water, if serving soba at room temperature, rinse under cold water.
  • While soba cooks, make parsley sauce. Combine parsley, pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice, sesame oil, soy sauce, and grape seed oil in a food processor (preferably in smaller bowl if possible) and blend ingredients together until smooth.
  • Toss noodles with sauce and serve.

Nutrition Information per Serving

Calories: 439kcal, Carbohydrates: 66g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 1057mg, Potassium: 321mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 948IU, Vitamin C: 17mg, Calcium: 48mg, Iron: 3mg

We have a traditional and easy basil pesto recipe here if you have an abundance of garden basil. It’s a great staple to have in the fridge. Try this pesto on our heirloom tomato tart recipe.