The Store-Bought Jarred Pesto That's As Close To Fresh As You Can Get
Pesto is generally accepted as one of those things that's better homemade -– jarred pesto from the store just rarely compares. Fortunately, it's also a thing that's easy to make. With your blender or mortar and pestle, all you need is a good quality olive oil, fresh basil, garlic, and pine nuts, and you'll have a fresh, green homemade pesto at home in minutes. Even so, some days you simply can't be bothered to make it — let alone clean your blender. But before you go grab any old jar from the store, you should know that Tasting Table's taste testers tried them all, and they discovered one store-bought jarred pesto brand that is as close to fresh as you can get.
In our ranking of 11 store-bought jarred pesto brands, Tasting Table's testers tasted a lot of frogs. Many of them strayed from classic recipes to opt for cheaper ingredients, from soybean or canola oil and citric acid over olive oil and fresh lemon to dried basil used in place of fresh. It was honest work, but even among the oxidized, muddy, sour, and grainy jarred pesto brands in the line up, they found their prince: DeLallo Traditional Basil Simply Pesto. Not only is this jarred pesto brand affordable at just over $6 per jar but it's also made with quality ingredients. From the handpicked Ligurian basil and olive oil to the nuts, Parmigiano Reggiano, and Pecorino Romano, DeLallo Traditional Basil Simply Pesto looks as good as it tastes.
Read more: 15 Popular Pasta Sauce Brands Ranked
DeLallo Traditional Basil Simply Pesto Holds True To Its Name
Traditional, simple, basil — it's all in the name. DeLallo's Traditional Basil Simply Pesto is a sight for sore eyes among the rest of the jarred pesto sauces you find on store shelves. Noticeably bright green, this jarred pesto gets its vibrant hue from actual Ligurian basil leaves, cultivated and picked by hand in Liguria, Italy. Granted protected designation of origin status in 2006, the basil is considered by some as the only basil variety that can be used to make authentic pesto. Used modestly, the Ligurian basil leaves are the reason for DeLallo's Traditional Basil Simply Pesto's authentic mediterranean flavor.
More importantly, and likely the reason why DeLallo's was favored over the other high-quality jarred pestos our taste testers tried, is its bargain price. Much of that can be attested to the generous amount of olive oil used, which might sound like a downfall of this sauce, except it actually helps it coat your pasta. Added cashews and pine nuts give it a creamier, nuttier flavor and texture that's only made better with the help of Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano cheese. Toss it into a bowl of the best pasta for pesto, add some protein or veggies, and you'll have yourself a simple, weeknight meal in under 20 minutes. If you're looking for a dairy free option, Seggiano Fresh Genovese Basil Pesto came in second to DeLallo's, but it has a heftier price.
Read the original article on Tasting Table.
