How To Make CBD Infused Pesto

Pesto is a versatile pantry essential that can be used in a wide variety of dishes. This classic Italian sauce can be added to pasta, roasted vegetables, or baked into bread. It’s so delicious that you can even eat it on its own or as a dip. Whatever you use it for, pesto adds a ton of flavor with its rich herb-y notes and fragrant nuttiness.

In this recipe, we’ll show you how you can make this ingredient even more special. By adding CBD isolate into the mix, you can get all the things you love about pesto while simultaneously enjoying what CBD has to offer.

Ingredients

For the CBD oil:

• ½ gram CBD isolate or extract
• ¾ cup olive oil
• 2 cups of water (for double boiler)

For the pesto:

• 2 cups of basil leaves
• 3 cloves of peeled garlic
• ⅓ cup pine nuts
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
• ¾ cup CBD oil (see above)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Preparation

For the CBD oil:

1. Pour the olive oil into the upper compartment of your double boiler and add water to the bottom compartment. If you don’t have a double boiler, you may use a saucepan and a separate bowl.
2. Place the double boiler on a stove and heat the water to a simmer.
3. When you see steam starting to form, add the CBD isolate to the olive oil and stir thoroughly until the powder is fully dissolved.
4. Continue heating the oil for at least 15 minutes while maintaining the same temperature. You may add more water if necessary.
5. Turn off the heat and transfer the CBD-infused olive oil into a clean container. Save this for making the pesto.

For the pesto:

1. Use a pan and lightly toast the pine nuts on a medium to high flame for about five minutes. Once golden and aromatic, take the pine nuts off the heat and let them cool.
2. Put the garlic cloves, toasted pine nuts, and parmesan cheese into a food processor or blender and pulse until all the ingredients are finely minced. You may also use a mortar and pestle for a more traditional method.
3. Add the basil leaves into the mixture and pulse again into a fine paste. You may add an ice cube to the mixture to retain a vibrant, green color since the heat from the food processor can turn the basil brown.
4. Slowly drizzle in ¼ cup of the CBD-infused olive oil and blend until fully emulsified. Repeat this step until all the oil has been used.
5. Add the salt and black pepper and blend all the ingredients together.
6. Transfer the finished pesto to a clean bowl or jar and keep it in the refrigerator. This can last up to seven days if properly stored.

Final Words

We hope you enjoyed this recipe! CBD Infused Pesto is extremely easy to make yourself, and the results are definitely worth it. Now, cook up a bowl of your favorite pasta, throw in some of that lovely pesto you just made, and dig in!