I mean who could say no to creamy homemade hazelnut pesto made from fragrant roasted hazelnuts? The robust flavour of the roasted hazelnuts gets a nice brightness from the lemon zest and lemon juice, and when whirled together with a generous glug of olive oil and a large handful of flat-leaf parsley and peppery arugula, plus a little parmesan, not to mention garlic, the pesto comes together as a well-rounded sauce that is brimming with flavour and texture. The aroma of the roasted hazelnuts alone is amazing!
I love pesto in all its forms! it’s fresh, versatile and so easy to make at home. This hazelnut pesto keeps for 3 to 4 days in the fridge (simply top with a thin layer of olive oil) and can also be frozen, making it perfect for quick pasta dinners, sandwiches or spooning over roasted vegetables.
Ingredients for Hazelnut Pesto
This Hazelnut Pesto keeps things beautifully simple. The ingredient list is short, which means this easy pesto recipe comes together in just minutes. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Hazelnuts – The undeniable star of this pesto. Lightly toasted, they turn wonderfully fragrant and rich.
- Flat-leaf parsley – Fresh and vibrant. I always reach for flat-leaf parsley for its clean, herbaceous flavour.
- Arugula – Adds a peppery freshness that lifts the pesto.
- Garlic – No need to crush it; a rough chop is perfect.
- Lemon – Since you’re using both zest and juice, choose an organic lemon.
- Parmesan – Freshly grated is non-negotiable for the best flavour.
- Olive oil – Use extra virgin olive oil for its fruity depth and superior quality.
- Salt and pepper – I love sea salt (especially Portuguese varieties) and always grind black pepper fresh from the mill.
Simple ingredients, bold flavour. That’s the beauty of this homemade hazelnut pesto.
How to Make Hazelnut Pesto
Toast, blend, stir. Your hazelnut pesto is ready. But let’s walk through it:
1) Toast the Hazelnuts.
Spread the hazelnuts out on a baking tray and roast them in a preheated oven for just under 15 minutes. When the skins begin to split, they’re ready. Or save time and buy pre-roasted hazelnuts — just make sure they’re unsalted so the flavour stays perfectly balanced.
Let them cool slightly, then wrap them in a clean kitchen towel and rub vigorously to remove most of the skins. It’s surprisingly satisfying. Bonus: you can call it multitasking if you offer your partner a quick shoulder massage in the process. Win-win.
2) Blend the Pesto.
As with most pesto recipes, simply add all the ingredients to a blender or food processor and pulse until you have a coarse, spoonable paste. Adjust the consistency with a little extra olive oil if needed. Whether you prefer it thick and rustic or smooth and silky is entirely up to you!
You’ll find the exact ingredients and measurements for this hazelnut pesto in the printable recipe card below.
Serving Suggestions for Hazelnut Pesto
This homemade hazelnut pesto is wonderfully versatile and adds bold, nutty flavour to all sorts of dishes. However you serve it, this creamy hazelnut pesto instantly elevates even the simplest ingredients. Here are a few delicious ideas:
It’s perfect served on a tomato-mozzarella sandwich, as a topping for crostini, tossed together with giant white beans or boiled new potatoes, and of course as sauce for pasta. And I’m willing to bet it tastes great as a pesto crust for chicken or a nice firm white fish.
If you are going to make this pesto as a sauce for pasta, reserve about 1/2 a cup (125 ml) of the pasta’s cooking liquid so you can add a little bit at a time to the pasta when you toss it with the pesto. This will help the pesto loosen up a bit and help create more of a sauce-like consistency.
Love this hazelnut pesto? Then you’ll definitely want to try a few more delicious takes on homemade pesto — whether it’s a vibrant wild garlic pesto or a classic basil version, there’s a pesto for every mood and meal:
Hazelnut Pesto
Roasted hazelnut pesto gets a nice brightness from the lemon zest and lemon juice, whirled together with flat-leaf parsley and peppery arugula, plus a little parmesan, not to mention garlic. Yum!
I’d love your feedback – just click on the stars to rate this recipe! ⭐
Ingredients
- 1 cup hazelnuts, lightly roasted and skinned (130 g)
- 1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, stemmed
- handful arugula leaves (35 g)
- 1 large clove of garlic, roughly chopped
- zest and juice of 1 organic lemon, about 2 tablespoons
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan (30 g)
- enough olive oil to achieve proper consistency, about 1/2 cup or more
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Method
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Preheat oven to 350° F / 180°C.
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On a baking sheet toast hazelnuts in one layer in middle of oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden and skins are blistered. Wrap the hazelnuts in a clean kitchen towel and vigorously rub the towel around them to remove the loose skins (it’s fine if some skins don’t come off). Set aside to cool.
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Put all the ingredients for the pesto in a food processor and blend until it becomes a smooth-ish paste. The pesto should still have a good amount of texture from the hazelnuts.
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If the mixture is too sturdy, add more olive oil, one tablespoon at a time, pulsing briefly after each addition until the pesto reaches the desired consistency.
Notes
For a relaxing atmosphere in the kitchen I recommend my personal Elle Republic: Chilled Out Kitchen Tunes Playlist on Spotify.
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