Pestos

Endlessly versatile, we love pesto as an all-in-one sauce for delicious pesto pasta, a base for pizza creations, topper for roasted or grilled meats, sandwich spread, and so much more. What most people think of as pesto is actually known in Italy as pesto alla Genovese, after Genoa, the northern Italian city where it originated. The fragrant blend of fresh basil, garlic, parmesan cheese, and pine nuts makes an unforgettably vibrant green condiment that’s understandably popular!

But the word pesto just means "to pound" or "to crush," a reference to the way this condiment is made, by crushing them together using a mortar and pestle. As you tour Italy, you’ll come across dozens of local varieties of pesto that bear no more than a passing similarity to the bright-green Genovese. There are so many regional pestos to discover, each made using the local ingredients that are available.

In sunny Sicily, pesto may be made with the almonds that grow in abundance on the island. There are Sicilian pestos with mint, sun-dried tomatoes, and pistachios. In Calabria, home to the famously spicy chilis, a local pesto is made with red peppers and tomatoes. In northern Liguria, local walnuts are pounded to make a creamy pesto to cover pansoti, a type of ravioli.  

No matter what kind of pesto you love best, you’ll find the freshest, most flavorful versions in the Giadzy shop. Sourced directly from their home in Italy, our pestos are made following traditional recipes for authentically delicious flavor. Our purveyors use only natural ingredients like the freshest herbs, high-quality olive oil, and real parmigiano reggiano to make pesto that can be used right out of the jar and tastes just like homemade. Keep a jar or two of these delicious pestos in your pantry and you’ll always have a fantastic flavor booster available for even the simplest meal.