Spoon this sauce over rich dishes like braised meats.
Gremolata is a classic Italian sauce that involves finely chopping together parsley, garlic, and lemon zest by hand, says Brooklyn-based recipe developer Ali Slagle. “When you’re using such flavorful ingredients, you don’t need to add salt or oil,” she explains. However, if you would like more of a liquidy sauce, stir in some lemon juice, olive oil, or both and create more of a salsa verde. The brightness of gremolata makes it ideal for cutting through rich ingredients like steak and pork—in fact, it’s a traditional accompaniment to osso buco (an Italian dish of braised veal shanks.) You could also serve it as a bold accent to ricotta or white beans. If you like, says Slagle, riff on the flavors by switching out the herbs and citrus: Swap in lime and cilantro or orange and mint instead of parsley and lemon.
Ingredients
Directions
Step 1
Place the parsley leaves on a cutting board, and grate the garlic over the leaves. Finely chop the two together and transfer to a small bowl. Zest the lemon over the mixture, then rub together with your fingers to combine and release the citrus oils (the mixture will start to look shiny and moist). Add more zest (or a pinch of salt) and rub with your fingers as needed to moisten the mixture. Store in the refrigerator for up to one day.