Nettle Pesto
Nettle pesto is a sauce made from stinging nettles instead of the basil used in traditional pesto. When properly processed in hot water, stinging nettles are safe to eat. Be sure to forage for the nettles at a location free from chemical sprays, using thick gloves and scissors to clip off leaves.
Ingredients
- 5 cups freshly foraged stinging nettles
- ⅓ cup hazelnuts, walnuts, or pine nuts
- 3 garlic cloves
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp black pepper
Ingredients for 12 servings (365 g) · the original recipe
Method
- 1
Dry sauté or roast the nuts until slightly browned.
- 2
Wearing thick gloves, submerge nettles in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and transfer to an ice water bath to stop the cooking process. Drain.
- 3
Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Alternatively, grind with mortar and pestle for a coarser consistency.
Blender
Recipe from Wikibooks Cookbook, written by Wikibooks contributors. Used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence; the ingredient list and method on this page are taken from that page and edited (its notes, tips and variations are not reproduced), and are available under the same licence. The macros, equipment tags and scaling are Ma Kitchen’s own and are not the source’s figures. Ma Kitchen is not affiliated with or endorsed by Wikibooks Cookbook. Copied on 2026-11-12.
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