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This hazelnut sage pesto recipe is quick and easy to make, a simple way to add a beautiful depth of flavor whether you have it with pasta, pizza or veggies. It’s also completely vegetarian, gluten-free, and easily made vegan, so it’s a perfect crowd pleaser!
About Sage
Sage is an aromatic herb and member of the mint family, like oregano, basil, rosemary and thyme. Sage leaves have a strong, earthy taste which is beautiful in a variety of dishes.
Fresh sage leaves have an even fuller flavor than dried leaves, and they’re easy to grow in your backyard. I love growing sage because it means I always have a supply of fresh leaves. Plus, they make a great addition to the garden, as they give off a wonderful fragrance when you walk past them.
As well as being used for cooking, sage features heavily in folklore! For example, Sage is used in many cleansing rituals and is reputed to strengthen the senses and memory. It’s also believed that sage growing in your garden signifies prosperity.
It’s not just folk tales that speak of the benefits of sage. It also offers several health benefits:
Sage is high in Vitamin K and contains magnesium, zinc, copper and Vitamins A, C and E.
It’s high in antioxidants which help to prevent chronic illness.
It’s thought to have antimicrobial effects, which are beneficial in fighting germs in the mouth. An old remedy for toothache is chewing on a sage leaf.
Sage is also thought to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and lower blood sugar levels.
Recipe Ingredients
To make, you will need:
Fresh sage leaves: you will want to use fresh over dried.
Extra virgin olive oil: this is a good recipe to use your best olive oil in.
Fresh basil leaves: fresh is best.
Blanched and roasted hazelnuts: you can purchase hazelnuts that are already blanched and roasted, which adds an extra dimension of flavor, but if you prefer raw hazelnuts, you can use that, too.
Shredded parmesan cheese (or nutritional yeast if you are making vegan pesto): a cheesy umami flavor is essential in any good pesto!
Garlic cloves (peeled): no good pesto is without the sharpness of raw garlic.
Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar: either of these acids work well for flavor balance.
Sea salt.
Freshly ground black pepper.
How to Make Sage Pesto – Step-by-Step Instructions
To make Hazelnut Sage Pesto, simply combine all of your ingredients in a food processor or blender, and blend until smooth. Told you it was quick and easy!
You can either enjoy your pesto right away or store it in the fridge or freezer. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week and three months in the freezer.
Kristen is a writer, photographer, recipe developer, and certified functional nutrition expert. She is also the author of Fermented Hot Sauce Cookbook, Vegetarian Family Cookbook, and Hot Sauce Cookbook for Beginners. Her work has been featured in various print and online publications including Elle, NBC, Chicago Sun-Times, Martha Stewart, MSN, New York Daily News, Healthline, and many more. Kristen is also a syndicated writer for The Associated Press.
Hi Kristen,
How do you retain the green color of the fresh spice or which one of the ingredients stops the color from darkening?
Would appreciate you emailing me your response.
Thanks.
Made with fresh herbs from garden and plain hazelnuts. Came out delicious! Great balance of flavors and a little kick to it.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
Hi Kristen,
How do you retain the green color of the fresh spice or which one of the ingredients stops the color from darkening?
Would appreciate you emailing me your response.
Thanks.
love this – i had extra sage from prepping for thanksgiving and didn’t know what to do with it – so i whipped this up! yum!
This was stunning. The hazelnuts and sage really changed the flavor in a really fun way. My family loved it.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
This pesto looks amazing! I love both hazelnut and sage so I’m sure I will like this!
Thank you so much!
Hazelnut sage pesto is a great alternative to traditional pesto! Yours looks delicious, should be great with pasta.
Thank you! 🙂
This pesto recipe is absolutely delicious – love the addition of sage and hazelnuts too!
Thank you so much!!