Parsley Pecan Pesto

I finally got around to updating my "About Me" section, an undeniably taxing undertaking since talking about yourself to strangers and even people you know is weird and exhausting which is why I've avoided updating it for so long. Take a look if you'd like.


As a frugal individual (my husband may disagree..) I'm always looking for ways to save money. I absolutely love pesto and I crave it especially in the summer, much more than traditional marinara sauce when I'm in the mood for pasta. But fresh basil and especially pine nuts can make for an expensive dinner and even prepared pesto is pricy and not nearly as delicious when you prepare it fresh. Thus, my inspiration for Parsley Pecan Pesto!

 Fresh parsley is half the price as basil and pecans are one of the most affordable nuts you can buy. Mine were especially affordable since my mom gave me a whole grocery sack full over Christmas from her pecan trees in Oklahoma and I've been storing them in my freezer where they keep for up to a year. The prices of pine nuts have skyrocketed due to droughts, bugs, and the general expense of extracting the seed from pine cones themselves which is tedious and time consuming. If you don't like pecans you can certainly use pistachios, walnuts, or even cashews but be prepared to pay more.

I'm totally weird and I actually don't crave pasta all that often, we eat it maybe bi-monthly and I just forced myself to eat the leftovers of some egg noodles I made last week so I opted to try zucchini noodles instead, not only to avoid more pasta but to see what all the fuss is about. I usually HATE vegetables as substitutions for pasta, who are you trying to fool? My taste buds are not stupid! But I have to say these "noodles" weren't half bad. And while I'd never run out and buy a spiral slicer I will keep this recipe in my back pocket for future low carb meals.

I have a mandolin that can also julienne and making these ribbons could not have been easier. The spiral slicer mentioned above also makes easy work of vegetables but I have a small kitchen and little room for unnecessary gadgets. Rotate the zucchini once the seeds start showing until your left with the core and discard the rest (or make zuchhini bread like I did!) I salted them liberally with kosher salt or you could use sea salt (don't use Morton's iodized salt). Then let them sit in a colander in the sink for at least 20 minutes where the salt will draw out the water in the zucchini. Then take some paper towels, lay them out and put your noodles on top and cover them with another layer of paper towels ( I did this in two batches). Then over the sink wring out the water as best as you can, there is an AMAZING amount of water that will be released and this will also rinse the salt off so don't worry too much about over salting them. I used 4 medium zucchini's which seemed like way too much but once the water is wrung out you get about half the size and it will serve 3-4.

Now it's time to make the pesto! Make sure you take the time to roast your pecans as this will greatly enhance their flavor. Ten minutes in a 250 degree oven should do it. I don't have a food processor (crazy, I know!) and this worked perfectly with an immersion blender just so you know.

Parsley Pecan Pesto
Makes 1 cup

1 1/2 bunches fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
2-4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup pecans, roasted, chopped
2/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
salt to taste

Combine parsley, garlic and pecans in a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground, add olive oil and pulse until a smooth paste forms. Add parmeasean cheese, stir. Ready to serve!