- 1/2 cup hazelnuts
- 6 cups nettles (including stems), or more to taste
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Place hazelnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat; cook and stir until toasted, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Wearing gloves, add nettles to boiling water; cook until nettles are tender and still maintain the bright green color, about 2 minutes. Immediately transfer to a colander and run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Let nettles cool and drain.
- Place the nettles in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze excess water from the greens.
- Combine nettles, hazelnuts, Parmesan cheese, and salt in a food processor fitted with a puree blade. Pulse a few times before turning the processor on. Stream olive oil through the feeding tube while the processor is running until pesto is smooth.