Hazelnut Pesto

By Heather Meyer

With pesto being the sauce du jour of pretty much every restaurant in the 80’s and 90’s, it seems a bit redundant to have a recipe for it. But the stuff is great! Local hazelnuts really makes it special. Served on pretty much anything, it’s an excuse to enjoy something green stuck in your teeth. Just make sure to check yours before you go out! Note: This is perfect to make a pasta salad for a picnic, and travels well in your bike bag…unlike a fish sauce based noodle salad stored in a container with a wonky lid…but that’s another story.

Ingredients

½ teaspoon sea salt
4 large cloves of garlic coarsely chopped
½ cup hazelnuts, coarsely chopped (or more if you like a nuttier version, and who doesn’t like to be a bit more nutty?)
1 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
1 cup parsley, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons Shepherd’s Way Friesago cheese (or parmesan)
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, more to cover
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Place the garlic and salt in a food processor and pulse until just minced. Add the hazelnuts. Pulse again. Add the herbs and olive oil until a rough paste is found. Add the cheese and black pepper. Pulse a bit more to desired consistency. Add a touch of water if you need help for it to all come together.

Store in a glass jar with a layer of olive oil on top. This will help it retain its green.

Serve with cooked pasta. If making a pasta salad, rinse the pasta in cold water and drain well. Make sure you have a loose consistency in your pesto and toss to combine.

Make more than you need, you may want to eat it for breakfast as well!