best store bought pesto?

[lilmomma]

which one? tia

[harryharry]

Sauces n Love makes a very good pesto - it's a fresh product and I know that some Whole Foods carry it...
The same company makes a shelf stable product - under the name Scarpetta - not sure if they have pesto and not sure if it's good - but most of their stuff is very good for store bought.

[rafjel]

I would normally say none, but the Costco pesto is actually quite good. It comes in a big jar, so freezing it is probably a good idea. Here's a thread I found:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/685084

[jmckee]

I would concur; I've used it for a couple of years, and it works well for me.

And as a side note: When a topic asks a question like this, "Make your own" isn't really an answer to the question.

[rafjel]

I agree - that's why I offered the Costco suggestion.

[decolady]

Yes, I like to keep a jar of the Costco pesto on hand. It works quite well when basil is out of season and I've run out of my own homemade frozen pesto.

[jmckee]

on grilled fish steaks it is amazing.

[paulj]

I keep a jar (6oz) of Trade Joes Pesto on hand. I don't think my homemade stuff is significantly better. Since I don't usually use it as the main flavoring from pasta, the jar lasts me some time.

[BigSal]

Gustiamo sells an excellent pesto on their web site. Fresh pesto is best when you can get fresh basil, but this was marvelous in the middle of winter. The taste and aroma is wonderful. It is quite expensive, but a little goes a long way. http://www.gustiamo.com/cgi-bin/front...

[Lenox637]

Scarpetta........ super fresh!!

[Karl S]

Look for Roland or other makers who use basil from Liguria - I get them in my local Italian market and they represent a good marriage of quality and value. American basil tends to be BIGGER! BOLDER! in flavor (in the form of menthol flavors), and that is a not a good thing for pesto, which is meant to be more delicate.

[gwendolynmarie]

What type of store bought are we talking here? Of the most widely available brands, discounting gourmet and local companies (like scarpetta), Buitoni I prefer to trader joe's and to costco's. If you have safeway, safeway select pesto is decent.

Classico, alessi, and roland are some I stay away from purposefully.

[valerie]

I make a lot of my own pesto in the summer and freeze it to pull out during the winter months, but toward the end of this winter, I caved and bought Trader Joe's brand. I think it is awful. I can't pinpoint what the taste is, but I just don't care for it (and I am not picky!). I have also bought the Costco one and I think that is better, but everything is relative.

[decolady]

Valerie, I make and freeze my own, too, every summer from the basil I grow. If that's not available, the best choice for purchasing I have found here is the Costco one.

[cpcabral]

I tried Trader Joe's and I wasn't impressed with the pesto. I prefer to do my own.

[cheesemonger]

Have you tried the Bear Pond Pestos? They are bright and tangy and delicious- also organic. For a classic Basil pesto, it's perfect.

[amatuerfoodie]

I am not sure if they sell if anymore since I haven't been to Sam's Club in a long time. But their fresh pesto in the cold case was always my favorite and very big! (it wasn't a members mark brand).

[Maximilien]

The best one I've tasted in recent years is from "Le Grand", it's made in Québec, don't know how well it's distributed elsewhere.

http://maisonlegrand.com/en/category/...

[eclectick6n2]

I have a copy of Beard on Pasta and he made a great pesto with the usual suspects but he used Italian flat leaf parsley. He served the pasta with cherry tomatoes that he sautéed in butter and dill weed. He arranged them in a circle around the pasta and with the bright green pesto, contrasting with the tomatoes, it was gorgeous and made a great entre at a Xmas party. I just bought a jar of Roland pesto but still have plenty of my own in the freezer.