Cannabis pesto

Summer heat is comming, and with it the desire to consume fresh foods and drinks like fruit juices, salads, guacamole or, of course, pesto! Originary from the northwestern part of the country, from one of the smallest regions in Italy (Liguria), this delicious, classic Italian sauce has become a true classic across the planet, especially when mixed with pasta. Let us welcome it today to our Cannabis Kitchen section!

While the main ingredients of the traditional recipe are genoese basil, garlic, pine nuts, salt, parmesan or pecorino cheese and olive oil, there are plenty of variations of this popular sauce, like red pesto (with fresh or dried tomatoes) or using a wide variety of dried fruits which can be either mixed with the pine nuts or used to replace them (it is hard to find them in some places!). Today we invite you to make a delicious dish of pesto pasta with a new and exciting ingredient...you guessed right, cannabis!

Cannabis pesto pasta recipe

To prepare this recipe we'll need the following ingredients. Keep in mind that, as happens with any other recipe, you should not hesitate to innovate and try new things if you wish! Remember that you can check our recipe for cannabis infused oil in this article Cannabis Pizza.

Ingredients for cannabis pesto:

• Fresh basil
• Garlic
• Cannabis infused olive oil
• Pine nuts (or other dried fruits)
• Parmesan or pecorino cheese (dry cheese)
• Salt

As we mentioned, there are tens of variations of the traditional recipe. Apart from adding cannabinoids and terpenes (as is the case of cannabis pesto), you can try other things. I personally love a mix of pine nuts, walnuts and cashew nuts, and I often add some fresh fresh tomato right before eating. Other recipes like red pesto also use tomato (either fresh or sun dried), which is crushed with the other ingredients with the mortar. A more delicate version is to use red peppers (capsicum annuum) instead of tomato.

You can also use different types of dry cheese (parmesan, pecorino, grana padano) or not use garlic, especially when you plan to store your sauce in the refrigerator for a some weeks. If that's the case, always try that the green plant material of the sauce is completely soaked in oil before storing (you can add some more oil if necessary). Other variations use lemon juice or some avocado, which gives it a more creamy touch. And what about using rocket instead of basil? Your only limit is your imagination!

Let's see now how to prepare this delicious sauce. As you'll see, it's fast and easy!

How to make cannabis pesto

We need a mortar to make this sauce; actually, pesto comes from genoese pestare, which means to crush with a mortar. Still, and if you're in a hurry, you can use an electric blender or food processor and you'll be done in a few minutes. Simply mix and crush the basil, garlic, salt, cheese and dried fruits until getting a uniform dough.

Slowly pour the cannabis infused olive oil while gently mixing the ingredients...our pesto will be done in no time! Pour oil until getting the desired texture, add some salt and pepper (if necessary) and you're done! You only have to relax with a cup of Cannawine while your pasta is boiling...the sauce is ready!

Please keep in mind that the effect of ingested cannabis may take longer to appear than smoked of vaped buds. We recommend to start with small doses and gradually increase them until finding the correct dosage for you. Also, the effect of ingested cannabis may take hours to decrease, so do not ingest large amounts at once.

Also, and as we recommend with any other cannabis edible, keep it out of the reach of children, animals or people who may not know its ingredients. Proper labelling can save you problems with accidental ingestions of cannabis edibles.

Enjoy your meal!