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Home » Savoury

Hazelnut Pesto with Thyme

January 30, 2017 by Jane Saunders 8 Comments

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HAZELNUT & THYME PESTO image for pinterest

Made in minutes, Hazelnut Pesto with Thyme is a buttery, zesty twist on the classic. Just like all good pesto, it is wonderful served with pasta but it can also turn into the star ingredient in your savoury bakes.

A jar of homemade hazelnut and thyme pesto on a wooden board

Basil pesto. Gloriously green. Lip-smackingly good. This classic is, without a doubt, a firm family favourite in my household.

But it’s such a favourite that I have to be careful not to rely on it too much. I have endless uses for this magic sauce and frequently use it in dips, sandwiches, savoury pastries, pasta, lasagne, and salad dressings.

If I can squeeze a little green pesto into daily life, I will jolly well will do.

But just occasionally, I like to remind myself that there is more to the world of pesto that this one variant. And that is where hazelnut pesto comes in.

I’ve been devising some savoury palmiers ready for Valentine’s Day and although I wanted to include some pesto in them, I needed a more subtle variety than my punchy green love could ever claim to be. I wanted something gentle, nutty and herby to resonate with – but not overpower – the other flavours included in these savoury palmiers.

Hazelnut Pesto with Thyme is the ideal accomplice to these ingredients.

Ingredients for Hazelnut Pesto

Those buttery, almost sweet hazelnuts team up with lemony, peppery thyme and olive oil amazingly well.

But toss in a handful of extra delights:

  • lemon
  • garlic
  • parmesan

and we’re well on our way to pesto heaven.

How to Make Pesto

There are two ways to make pesto – by hand or in a food processor.

Wonderful results can be achieved by finely chopping the fresh ingredients by hand and mixing with olive oil. This technique will take 20-30 minutes and is the preferred method of many a true Italian.

The result will be a pesto that is superior in both texture and flavour than one whizzed up in a food processor or with a stick blender.

Hazelnut and thyme pesto freshly made in a food processor.

I, however, am a little on the lazy side and generally use my food processor to do the chopping for me.

For this thyme based pesto, I tend to grate my cheese and lemon zest before adding to the processor bowl as well as stripping the thyme leaves from their stems.

Ingredients for homemade pesto in the bowl of a food processor.

And the beauty is that the food processor does all of the hard work for us. This baby is ready in mere minutes.

I prefer to “pulse’ my ingredients to avoid over-blending them and just drizzle in the oil oil during the last few turns.

How to Use Hazelnut Pesto

I created this recipe specifically for my savoury palmiers. But I’m pleased to report that this thyme based pesto also makes a highly successful marriage with a bowl of steaming pasta. Just like all great pestos should.

The sweet, nutty, lemony and herby flavours, with a hint of cheese and garlic naturally wrap themselves around the sleek, tender pasta. Bliss.

Pasta served with hazelnut pesto stirred through.

Other ways to use this nutty thyme pesto recipe include:

  • tossed through gnocchi
  • in a potato salad
  • to top a pizza bianca in place of fresh herbs
  • stirred through mashed potato
  • served with fish
A bowl of pesto covered pasta alongside a jar of homemade pesto.

Find More Recipes Using Nuts:

  • Cherry, Goats Cheese & Almond Salad
  • Nutty Pear and Chocolate Crumble
  • Chai Spiced Candied Nuts
  • Pistachio & Lemon Battenberg
Thyme Hazelnut Pesto

5 Minute Hazelnut Pesto with Thyme

Jane Saunders
Made in minutes, Hazelnut Pesto with Thyme is a buttery, zesty twist on the classic.
5 from 5 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Condiment, sauce, Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 237kcal
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Ingredients

  • 100 g/ ⅔ cup Blanched hazelnuts
  • 50 g/ ½ cup Parmesan cheese
  • ½ Small clove garlic
  • Zest 1 lemon
  • 1 tablespoon Fresh lemon juice
  • 30 g/ ¾ cup Fresh thyme
  • 100 ml/ ⅓ cup + 2 tablespoon Olive oil
  • Salt & pepper

Instructions

  • Strip the leaves from the thyme
  • Finely grate the parmesan
  • Peel the garlic and roughly chop
  • Put the hazelnuts into a foodprocessor (use the small bowl if you have one or use a stick blender) and pulse until course
  • Add the cheese, thyme, garlic, zest and lemon juice. Pulse until desired consistency is reached, scrapping down the bowl as required
  • Add the oil and some salt & pepper to taste. Briefly pulse to combine
  • Best eaten fresh but can be stored for up to 3 days

Notes

I like my pesto fairly chunky, but blend to a smoother consistency if desired If you like a looser pesto, add a little more oil until you are satisfied

Nutrition Per Serving (Approximate)

Calories:237kcal | Carbohydrates:7g | Protein:9g | Fat:21g | Saturated Fat:4g | Cholesterol:9mg | Sodium:201mg | Potassium:227mg | Fiber:3g | Sugar:1g | Vitamin A:454IU | Vitamin C:15mg | Calcium:207mg | Iron:3mg
Tried this Recipe? Pin it Today!Mention @littlesugarsnap or tag #littlesugarsnaps!
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More Savoury Recipes

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  • Venison Pie with Bacon and Mushrooms
  • Lamb Balti Curry (Birmingham Balti)
  • Chicken and Leek Risotto

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  1. Ceri Jones

    July 05, 2019 at 11:44 am

    5 stars
    I’ve made pesto with hazelnuts before, but never thyme. Love the flavour of it though. I have some growing at home so maybe I should try this out asap! Lovely idea

    Reply
  2. Esha

    July 02, 2019 at 2:45 am

    5 stars
    I am a huge fan of anything pesto. And with hazelnuts and thyme, it sounds beyond delicious. What a fabulous recipe.

    Reply
  3. Cat | Curly's Cooking

    June 30, 2019 at 9:36 pm

    5 stars
    This sounds amazing! I love hazelnuts and thyme so this is right up my street. Such a fantastic idea!

    Reply
    • Jane Saunders

      July 01, 2019 at 5:31 pm

      Thanks Cat.

      Reply
  4. Sisley White

    June 29, 2019 at 10:38 pm

    5 stars
    This looks incredible! I would love to make this and sit and enjoy it with some crunchy bread.

    Reply
    • Jane Saunders

      July 01, 2019 at 5:33 pm

      It’s delicious – I must treat the family to another batch soon.

      Reply
  5. Choclette

    June 29, 2019 at 3:05 pm

    5 stars
    Ooh yes, what a splendid idea. I’ve often used hazelnuts in pesto along with a variety of herbs. But I’ve never tried thyme before. As you say pesto is such a versatile ingredient and I absolutely love it in sandwiches..

    Reply
    • Jane Saunders

      July 01, 2019 at 5:33 pm

      Don’t get me started on how good pesto is in place of butter….

      Reply

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