Good pesto

[sweettoothMTL]

I’ve run out of the batch of pesto I made last fall, and I’m looking at some long months until I make my next batch.

In the meantime, what’s your recommendations for store-bought perso?

[Shattered]

Pastene is the best, imo, as far as brands in all the big groceries go (it's got a yellow label with red lettering).

[sweettoothMTL]

The Pastene sauce I saw at Loblaws had peanut oil and cashew nuts as first ingrediants, so that turned me off. But I see now the website has a ‘’normal’’ version listed. Don’t know what the other one was about.

[Shattered]

I haven't a clue what you saw, but it's not the Pastene pesto I've got - or pesto at all.

[SnackHappy]

Here's a list of ingredients from the Pastene USA web site:

"INGREDIENTS: Sweet Fresh Basil, Sun Flower Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Cashew Nuts, Pine Kernals,, Parmesan & Romano Cheese, Garlic, Sea Salt,"

So yes to cashew nuts, no to peanut oil.

http://store.pastene.com/merchant2/me...

[Maximilien]

There are many variations of the traditional pesto.

We are used to see the "genovese" variation. (basil, cheese, pine nuts); but I've seen many different sorts before, here and in Italy.

[sweettoothMTL]

How about the Fontaine Santé? Has anyone tried that?

[j_do]

if you're not gonna make your own Le Grand for sure. run by a really nice couple from Montreal.

[sweettoothMTL]

Thanks, I'll give Le Grand a try and take it from there.

I'll let you know if I find something great :)

[alinemramos]

I have just tried Le Grand pesto, and I must say I'm not a fan. I tried it at a sampling, and had the Garden Pesto and the 4 nuts and cheese. The garden pesto tasted (almost exclusively) of parsley, and the 4 nuts & cheese was really heavy on the cheese - I would never have guessed there were nuts in it.

Neither tasted of olive oil. If you were planning to use it on pasta, you would have to add a lot of olive oil (and then ruin the texture).

I think I have seen pesto at Maison du Rôti (made by them). I've never tried it, but their products are usually very good, so it might be worth a shot.

[Maximilien]

The Le Grand pesto is really a good base to add cheese and nuts.

[Plateaumaman]

I like the Le Grand Garden pesto because it doesn't contain nuts so I can send it off in my kids' school lunches. But tonight we're having pesto from Maison des Pâtes Fraiches which is a very nice one too.

For homemade, off season it can be fun to try different pesto recipes like lemon, parsley and walnut pesto.

[C70]

Milano carries some more "homemade" looking pesto in the fridge with other pasta sauces.

[Maximilien]

There's a basil pesto sold in a "pouch" that is quite good; add cheese and other ingredients on your side.

[westaust]

That would the Le Grand brand of pesto

[Maximilien]

Ah yes, I always forget it, and I can't find a good google hint to find it.

[westaust]

Their website: http://maisonlegrand.com/

[SnackHappy]

The Kirkland brand from Costco is not bad, although it's bit light on the basil and heavy on the cheese.

[wattacetti]

The President's Choice stuff at least is pretty bad. Suggest you go buy a basil plant and some pine nuts and start whizzing.