Soba Noodles w/ Parsley Pesto
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
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.
A Way to Garden Book
Margaret 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.
Soba with Parsley Pesto Recipe
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
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.
Been a fan of Margaret’s blog for a while now. I’d love to win the book, but if not, this is a serious push to get me to buy it! Looks like something I’d really enjoy. Your recipe makes me want to try Italian parsley. Grew up with the ruffly type and am not fond of it’s blah taste. Kind of like eating grass. 🙂
It looks great. Thanks for sharing, now I have another great parsley recipe. I love it!
I’m so glad I found your site. This is awesome. Love the detailed recipe, including the pictures. I am so anxious for this snow to go away and to start gardening again. It’s been snowing 2 full days and nights.
I love the photo of the pesto in the food processor! Looks divine!
Margaret is my inspiration! I walked away from more lucrative work several years ago and am sculpting a new life in Upstate NY also. I would love to win a copy of her book! Not that I won’t buy it if I don’t. But winning would be fantastic. She is first class in my book! As are you, White on Rice couple! Thanks for your respective blogs. You make my day.
Thanks for sharing. Gorgeous snaps.
This is a book I’d love to read. She is a brave woman.
Lovely read. I make pesto but use chili oil that I make myself and Mac nuts from my neighbors tree. Great photos too. Aloha
I have been following Margaret on Facebook, and love her perspective, her honesty and the beauty of her prose. Would love to have a copy of her book. have signed up for your blog/newsletter as well – you are living our life! My husband and I are FINALLY getting a chance to do the travel and photography thing, gardening not so much, as we are moving to Arizona in two weeks and leaving garden behind – look forward to living vicariously through your work!
Beautiful ceramics! That is what I will do someday if I walk away from it all. Just me and my wheel and a garden.
I just got some soba noodles, I’ll have to try that
who doesn’t think of walking away and never coming back. someday that will happen, i just hope i am young enough to enjoy it. a good book to read on the bus while on the way to will have to get me through.
The book sounds great! I’d love to win a copy.
i do need a new book!
I instantly felt drawn to Margaret’s story. It’d be lovely to win her book. Thank you for sharing the recipe and pointing her gardening blog to me.
I visit Margaret every time I sit at my computer. I always come away smiling and having learned something. Many of her ideas are in my garden. Sadly, I don’t have a Jack The Devil Cat.