Supermarket basil pesto taste test: from 'salty and unpleasant' to 'good enough to eat off the spoon'

"We try some of the best - and worst - versions on the market right now"

"Basil pesto - or pesto Genovese - originates in Liguria, and is traditionally made with just a few ingredients: pine nuts, fresh basil, Parmesan cheese (and perhaps pecorino), extra-virgin olive oil and garlic."

"If you've ever been lucky enough to eat fresh pesto in Italy, you'll know how incredibly delicious this simple combination can be."

"Making it yourself from scratch if you have a glut of basil is hugely rewarding - a real taste of summer."

Basil pesto, or pesto Genovese, originates in Liguria and is traditionally made with just a few ingredients: pine nuts, fresh basil, Parmesan cheese (and sometimes pecorino), extra-virgin olive oil and garlic. Commercial pesto products on the market vary widely in quality, with some excellent and some poor versions available. Fresh pesto in Italy demonstrates how incredibly delicious the simple combination of ingredients can be. Preparing pesto at home from scratch when there is a glut of basil is hugely rewarding. Homemade pesto captures bright herbaceous notes alongside nutty and cheesy depth, creating a vivid taste of summer.

Read at Independent