Pioneering Pesto

Pioneering Pesto
When we first brought Pesto to the UK back in 1991, just a few people knew about the classic Pesto Alla Genovese recipe based on basil… And it was at a time when we Brits were only just becoming familiar with pasta, can you believe, pouring huge amounts of tomato sauce on top of a pile of pasta – which then sank immediately to the bottom of the bowl! So we launched our basil recipe, along with a sun dried tomato and a creamy recipe, to appeal to everyone who loved tomato and creamy sauces. All we had to do then was explain that Pesto is stirred through pasta and not poured over it. All in a day’s work for we Pesto Pioneers! Over the years we’ve gone on to create recipes based on other Italian ingredients and recipes, from coriander and aubergine to truffle and chilli. Here’s the full list, and a recipe to inspire you. Look out for the numbers on our jar labels which will give you an idea of the order in which they arrived on the shelves of our favourite supermarkets in the UK.

No. 1 Classic Basil

 Versatile and delicious - Perfect with pasta and just as good on vegetables, in salads and spread onto chicken or fish. View Recipe

No. 2 Sun-Dried Tomato

 Perfect with pasta, pizza and pastry treats. See Recipe

No. 3 Char-grilled Aubergine

 A brilliant sauce for dipping into, or smothering all over everything if you’re an aubergine fan. See Recipe

No. 4 Roasted Pepper

 A wonderful sauce for sandwiches, salads and especially tarts. See Recipe

No. 7 Fresh Coriander

 Add to your favourite Asian dishes with noodles, or with baked salmon. See Recipe

No. 8 Fiery Chilli

 Enough of a kick to put a smile on any chilli-lover’s face. Perfect with salmon, crab or even paneer. See Recipe

No. 11 Truffle

 Delightfully decadent, and works wonders simply tossed through fresh pasta, or stirred into scrambled eggs. See Recipe