Toasted Hazelnut Pesto

Toasted Hazelnut Pesto is a deliciously nutty twist on a classic, adding extra depth and flavor to a firm favorite. This easy homemade pesto takes hardly any time to make, and I think a bowl of it should be in everyone's fridge.

Jump to:

• 📖 Ingredients List
• 👩🏼‍🍳 Instructions
• 👩🏼‍🍳 Ways To Use Pesto
• 🍷 Wine pairing for Hazelnut Pesto
• ❄️ Storage & Freezing
• 🥣 Equipment
• ❓Recipe FAQ
• 🍽 Other recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

📖 Ingredients List

1. Hazelnuts—For the best taste, use whole, fresh hazelnuts. We roast them in the oven for a toasty flavor, and then peel them to remove the skins (I'll give you a hack to make this easier and less of a faff).
2. Pine nuts - These give those classic pesto undertones but we don't use as many as a traditional pesto, so that hazelnut is still the predominant nutty flavor.
3. Basil—This hazelnut pesto will require a lot of fresh basil, and dried basil will not work.
4. Pecorino - You can also use Parmesan cheese or Gran Padano if it is harder for you to find Pecorino in grocery stores. However, it is the standard cheese in pesto as it has that tasty, nutty flavor.
5. Garlic - Some like their pesto super garlicky, and this is your rodeo so you can add as much as you like. I use one fresh clove, minced up with some salt.
6. Olive oil - I prefer not to use very strong extra virgin olive oil as it can overpower the other flavors. But, good quality, cold-pressed olive oil is essential for the best pesto.
7. Lemon - Lemon juice and lemon zest help brighten the taste of the hazelnut pesto and bring out all the flavors. It also helps as a natural preservative to keep the green color.
8. Salt and pepper - I always prefer to use flaky sea salt and cracked black pepper.

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👩🏼‍🍳 Instructions

1. Toast and skin the hazelnuts. Preheat the oven to 170C/340F and place the nuts on an oven tray. Roast hazelnuts for around 10 minutes or until fragrant.
2. Remove the hazelnuts to a bowl to cool, and put the pine nuts on the tray. Roast the pine nuts for 5 minutes or until they start to brown. They burn easily, be careful.
3. Skin the cooled hazelnuts by rubbing them between slightly damp hands. The skin will flake off easily.
4. Blanch the basil leaves. Dip them in boiling water and immediately remove them to a plate lined with paper towels. Pat them dry with more paper towels or a clean tea towel.
5. In the bowl of a food processor, blend the basil, grated cheese, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, zest, pine nuts, and skinned hazelnuts until you reach your desired consistency. If it is too much of a thick paste, you can adjust to the right consistency with a bit more olive oil.
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve with pasta dishes, new potatoes, meat, fish, or vegetables.

👩🏼‍🍳 Ways To Use Pesto

The best thing about making an easy hazelnut pesto recipe is how versatile it is. Here are some ways to use hazelnut pesto to show it off to its best advantage. This recipe makes 350 grams of pesto (approximately 1.5 cups).

1. Stir it through some fresh linguine to make an easy pesto pasta. Use some of the pasta cooking water to slacken it into more of a pasta sauce, and top with extra shavings of parmesan cheese.
2. Serve tossed through warm sauteed vegetables like in an Italian zucchini salad.
3. Drizzle hazelnut pesto over some grilled fish or meats for an easy marinade.
4. Brush it over halloumi skewers for a tasty party snack or dinner party first course.
5. Add a teaspoon to salad dressings to add extra flavor.

🍷 Wine pairing for Hazelnut Pesto

Hazelnut pesto is rich, oily, and nutty so needs a wine that can stand up to it. Serve a crisp chilled Italian white wine like a Garganega or Soave from the Veneto region. Alternatively, a lightly chilled, fruity young Pinot Noir will work well.

❄️ Storage & Freezing

Fresh pesto keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge. Consume within 3-4 days. You can also freeze hazelnut pesto easily to use in the future! Cover the surface with plastic wrap to protect it from freezer burn and use within one month.

🥣 Equipment

You will need a food processor to blend the pesto and an oven tray to toast the hazelnuts and pine nuts. You could also do this in a frying pan or large skillet.

❓Recipe FAQ

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📖 Recipe