**I’d separate the crushing from the herb chopping, and try a mezzaluna for the herbs.** That gives you control over the texture at each stage.

For each batch of 8–12 servings:

1. **Prepare the herbs ahead.** Wash, spin dry thoroughly, remove tough stems, and refrigerate until needed. Leave the leaves whole until you make the sauce.

2. **Crush the flavour base separately.** Grind the dried chillies in a mortar, then add the garlic and some of your measured salt and work into a paste. A garlic press can eliminate the slicing step. Keep the oil and other liquids out until the grinding is finished.

3. **Chop the herbs in manageable handfuls.** Gather each handful into a compact bundle, slice finely across it, then make a short chopping pass across the slices. Stop at your preferred texture; repeatedly chasing the last large piece means working the whole pile again.

4. **Combine and finish briefly.** Stir the garlic–chilli paste into your liquid mixture, fold in the herbs, then give the sauce only as much final crushing as your preferred flavour and texture require. Finely chopped herbs can simply be stirred into salsa verde, as in [Riverford’s method](https://www.riverford.co.uk/recipes/salsa-verde).

A **mezzaluna** is the curved, two-handled blade you rock across a board. It’s a useful option for repetitive herb chopping; [Nigella describes the tool and its use here](https://www.nigella.com/ask/chopping-blade). I’d choose a sharp single-blade version for easy clearing and cleaning. Its speed advantage will depend on your knife skills, so borrowing one for a batch would be a useful trial.

The biggest practical saving is having **dry, picked herbs ready to chop and a fully crushed garlic–chilli base ready to mix**. If crushing the herbs contributes to the flavour you like, retain a brief finishing step and compare the result with your usual batch.