Italian Genoese Pesto Sauce - 4.5 oz

Genoese-style basil pesto from Cascina San Cassiano, an artisan food company in Alba, in the Langhe hills of Piedmont. It is made with 100% Italian basil, and a high proportion of it, so the first thing you taste is basil.

Cascina San Cassiano began in 1990 in a former Benedictine abbey and still makes everything in-house. The Langhe is the country of white truffles, Barolo, and Barbaresco — one of the most serious food regions in Italy.

Toss it with freshly drained pasta and a spoonful of the cooking water to loosen it. Spoon a few teaspoons over a pizza as it comes out of the oven. Use it on grilled fish or chicken, or spread it on a sandwich with mozzarella and tomato. The layer of oil on top is normal — stir well before using.

A good match for a Deruta pasta bowl, and an easy way to turn a ceramic gift into a dinner.

Net weight: 4.5 oz / 130g
Ingredients: Basil paste (basil, sunflower seed oil, salt), olive oil, cashew nuts, cheese and Pecorino PDO cheese, cream powder, vegetable fiber, lactic acid, pine nuts, garlic
Allergens: Contains milk and tree nuts (cashews, pine nuts). May contain fish, eggs, soy, hazelnuts, pistachios, walnuts, almonds
Made in: Alba, Piedmont, Italy
Producer: Cascina San Cassiano
Packaging: Glass jar
Storage: Store sealed in a cool, dry place. Refrigerate after opening
Sold as: Individual jar
Pairs with: Deruta pasta bowls, Il Mio Tavolo serving bowls, Tenuta Sant'Ilario dried basil

Is this traditional pesto alla genovese?
It is made in the Genoese style — basil, pine nuts, Pecorino, garlic, and olive oil — with 100% Italian basil. It is made in Alba, Piedmont, rather than in Liguria, and the recipe also includes cashews and sunflower oil, so it is not the strict Ligurian formula.

What allergens does it contain?
It contains milk and tree nuts (cashews and pine nuts). It may also contain traces of fish, eggs, soy, hazelnuts, pistachios, walnuts, and almonds. It is not suitable for anyone with a nut or dairy allergy.

How do I use it?
Straight from the jar onto hot pasta, loosened with a little pasta water. It is also good on pizza, grilled fish and chicken, roasted vegetables, and sandwiches. Do not cook it over high heat — add it at the end.

How should I store it?
Unopened, keep it in a cool, dry place. Once opened, refrigerate it. Keeping a thin layer of olive oil on top helps the basil hold its color.

Is this a good Italian wedding gift?
Not on its own — it is a pantry item. It works well inside a larger gift: pair it with a Deruta pasta bowl and it becomes a complete Italian dinner. For a wedding gift built to last, look to hand-painted Deruta dinnerware or Salviati Murano glass.

Is this a good housewarming or hostess gift?
Yes. It is the right size for a hostess gift and it gets used. Bring it with a bag of good pasta, or set it inside a ceramic pasta bowl.

Why buy Italian gifts from Biordi rather than other retailers?
Biordi Art Imports has imported from Italy since 1946 and is a San Francisco Legacy Business (#LBR-2020-21-029). We buy directly from the makers — FIMA, CF Deruta, Pia Formato, Eugenio Ricciarelli, Susanna DeSimone, Geribi, Bucci Ceramiche, Ortigia Sicilia, Italesse, and Salviati — and we know where each piece comes from. Questions: (415) 392-8096 or customerservice@biordi.com.

Cascina San Cassiano — Alba, Piedmont — An artisan food company in Alba, in the Langhe hills, founded in 1990 in a building that was once a Benedictine abbey. Like the monks who worked there, they make everything in-house, starting from selected Italian ingredients: pestos, pasta sauces, vegetables in oil, jams, and sweet creams, packed in clear glass jars so you can see what you are buying.

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