Hemp Seed Basil Pesto

During Choctoberfest, I was sent a pretty sweet package of goodies from Just Hemp Foods, including Hemp Protein Powder (which I used in these muffins), Hemp Seeds, and Hemp Oil.

 

This weekend, I finally cracked into the Hemp Seed Oil. I had a bunch of basil that I knew I couldn’t use up before it wilted, so I made pesto, or more specifically, Hemp Seed Basil Pesto!

 

Hemp Seed Oil delivers a subtle nutty taste, so it’s perfect in a pesto. The oil contains the ideal 3:1 omega-6 to omega-3 ratio which supports heart health. Hemp Seed Oil degrades with light and heat, so it’s best to refrigerate it and use it cold. The oil has a green color to it, so it really makes the basil pop!

 

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup hemp seed oil
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

To make your Hemp Seed Basil Pesto, lightly toast the pine nuts over medium heat, about 5 minutes or until fragrant.

Add the basil, garlic, and toasted pine nuts to a food processor, pulsing until finely chopped.

Add the oil in a stream though the food processor chute while the processor is running. Keep processing until the ingredients are fully incorporated and smooth.

 

Season with salt and pepper. Add in the Parmesan cheese and pulse to combine.

If you’d like, add an extra drizzle of hemp seed oil on top and serve.

 

Hemp seed oil is a delicious addition to traditional basil pesto. The nutty flavor comes through without overpowering the other flavors.

 

This can be frozen for future use, just thaw at room temperature.

 

My fiance personally likes a dollop of this on top of his pasta (which already has sauce on it)!