Hazelnut and Parsley Pesto

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

Pasta of your choice, we went with this trottole
A large bunch, (about 80g) parsley, you could also use basil or do half half
100g roasted hazelnuts
60g parmesan, cut into chunks or nutritional yeast
zest and juice 1 lemon
150ml olive oil
Salt
Pepper
*you’ll notice we haven’t included garlic on this list. We don’t think it needs it! However, if you’re a garlic head, then by all means pop 1-2 crushed cloves in!

Summary

We recently started stocking Pepo Farms’ Australian grown roasted hazelnuts, and naturally, we’re excited about it, so we’ve whipped up a parsley and hazelnut pesto to celebrate! It’s good to go in just a few whizzes and adds infinite oomph to pasta, sandwiches, roast veg and grain salads – even dipping carrot sticks in it rocks. Make a double batch and freeze some for later.

Hazelnut and Parsley Pesto

Put the parmesan and hazelnuts in a food processor and whizz until they resemble breadcrumbs. Add the parsley, lemon juicer and zest and whizz again. With the motor still running, gradually drizzle in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook the pasta in salted, boiling water according to pack instructions.

Once cooked, reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid, then drain pasta and return it to the pan. Stir in the pesto (we usually use about 100g pesto per serving) and add a splash of water if things are looking too dry/gluggy. Don’t worry if you think it’s looking too watery, keep stirring and it will slowly become silky, saucy and luscious!

Hints and Tips

Store pesto in an airtight container with a drizzle of olive oil over the top, this helps seal the sauce for longevity!