SEGGIANO RAW UNPASTEURISED BASIL PESTO GENOVESE HIGHLY RECOMMENDED BY THE PEACHY'S PANTRY PANEL OF WHOM YOU KNOW
Pesto is one of my favorite ingredients for Italian dishes! Seggiano's Raw Basil Pesto is second to none! This pesto is made in Liguria using modern organic farming methods. The top leaves of the basil are preserved within hours of being picked, ensuring their quality! This is the best method of capturing the basil's wonderful pungent flavors! This pesto is great to use as a spread or on hot pasta. I enjoyed it as a spread for brushetta and ate every last bite! The pesto has such beautiful coloring as well because of the freshness of the basil! Seggiano's Raw Basil Pesto is so delicious it's a challenge not to eat the entire jar by yourself!
I love pesto and this pesto did not disappoint. As soon as I opened the bottle, the smell won me over. It smelled perfect! There was a little extra oil on the top, so I actually recommend you discard that oil as the label recommends. One of my favorite meals is tortellini with pesto sauce. This pesto melted right into the hot pasta and there was enough left over in the bottle for a little extra pesto on top. The basil flavor was pronounced as was the olive oil flavor and yet, they both blended nicely. This pesto was really delicious. If you are looking for a pesto to top off your pasta dinner, this pesto should be your go-to. You will really enjoy it.
Basil pesto is one of my favorite foods - let's face it, it's just downright tasty. Well, I recently tasted one that took things to a whole different level! Seggiano's Raw Basil Pesto is simply bursting with fresh flavor! The list of ingredients is a short one: olive oil, cashew nuts, fresh Ligurian basil, sea salt, and pine nuts. It is made in Liguria, using organic farming methods, and is, hands-down, the most flavorful, enjoyable pestos I've ever tasted. Once the basil plants are mature, the top leaves are harvested by hand, washed, and chopped, and they're preserved in olive oil within a few hours of being picked so that the full, fresh flavor is preserved. The pesto is not pasteurized, so it retains the intensity of color and flavor of the fresh-picked basil. I put it on top of Seggiano's Organic Tagliatelle Pasta, and then added some freshly shredded Parmesan cheese, and I was in absolute heaven. If I closed my eyes, I could imagine for a minute that I was in the Italian countryside, enjoying a freshly prepared meal by a welcoming bread and breakfast owner - not sitting in my small apartment in New York City. For any pesto lover, Seggiano's Raw Basil Pesto is not simply recommended - it's an absolute must!
Pesto is something that I have recently been turned on to. I remember seeing it when I was younger and never wanting to try it. I am so glad I have found this wonderful item to keep in my kitchen. When I tried the Raw Basil Pesto, I couldn't believe there was anything better than what I had been using in the past. I don't think I can eat any other pesto besides the Seggiano Raw Basil Pesto now. My favorite way to enjoy this was as a spread on a caprese sandwich. I was at a restaurant a few weeks ago that took the basic idea of the caprese salad, but turned it into a sandwich. I was able to mimic that at home. When I received the Raw Basil Pesto, I decided to use that as a spread on my bread instead of olive oil. It was so good. I am learning new ways to incorporate pesto into my cooking and can't wait to try new things.
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who we are
David Harrison and Peri Eagleton have farmed
olives on their smallholding in SEGGIANO® since 1985, began selling their SEGGIANO® extra virgin oil
in 1994 and went on to find producers of
the best Italian foods available.
the seggiano mission
It is our quest to supply the most delicious,
genuine and naturally produced Italian regional specialities, from Piemonte to Sicily.
When we say handmade, we really mean handmade. Our many artisanal producers prepare fresh, small
batches of their best products exclusively forSEGGIANO®. Current harvest and freshly prepared;SEGGIANO® foods not only taste fantastic but are
also made without the use of preservatives
or industrial processing.
We believe in accountability and have an active
GM AND QUALITY ASSURANCE evaluation programme.
about us
Seggiano is the name of a small hilltop village at 450 metres on Monte Amiata in southern Tuscany, where Peri Eagleton and David Harrison have farmed Olivastra olives on their certified organic smallholding since 1985. Our range of foods is named in honour of the tiny
village where our story started.
our friends
The company's olive oil production could not take place without the essential support and collaboration of neighbours and Seggiano farming friends, who reserve their annual oil
production for us, help with the specialist olivastra pruning and all the labelling.
our partners
Our roots in Italy, the experience and familiarity with the Italian language, rural culture and oil production, have helped us to build close partnerships with many of the best artisan food producers across Italy. Our great UK team take care of the rest.
INGREDIENTS
olive oil, cashew nuts, fresh Ligurian basil (30%), sea salt, pine nuts.
200g / 1kg / 4kg
Seggiano pesto is made from an original Ligurian basil. Using modern organic farming
methods, the earth is steam treated before seeding the basil. This eliminates any pests
or weeds. Once the basil plants are mature, the tender top leaves are hand- picked and
washed. Finely chopped, they are put in olive oil within a matter of hours to best preserve
their fresh and intense powerful aromatic flavours.
Unpasteurised, this raw pesto maintains the pungent intensity of fresh basil.
For pasta dishes, first drain any excess olive oil and toss the fresh basil pesto, unheated,
into piping hot pasta. Add finely grated parmesan cheese. This pesto is also delicious in
sandwiches and can be used as a salsa verde.
We think that this is by far the best pesto on the shelves. The inspired producers, who
have their own Ligurian basil fields rather than buying from others, have perfected a
process using steam treatment of the soil before seeding the basil. This eliminates the
need for herbicides or pesticides. Their studied production method results in a pesto which
is raw and unpasteurised, thus conserving the subtly delicious and refreshing basil aroma
and flavour.
This is how they do it:
"Thanks to its particular mild climate, abundant sunshine and sea breezes, the entire
region of Liguria proves to be ideal for basil farming. The year starts in May with the land
being fertilised using natural fertiliser which is worked into the soil by machines.
The next stage is the mechanical disinfecting of the soil using steam. In special boilers,
water is taken to the temperature at which ‘dry steam’ is produced. Via tubes laid on the
soil and covered with special material, the land is steamed for approximately 3 hours
which kills potential pests and blights, removing the necessity to use pesticides. In June
the seed beds are prepared so that the soil is light and soft . The seeds are then sown in
parallel rows at a width which will later permit the basil to be gathered by hand.
Daily watering is regulated by a computer. Spring water is used, which is an essential
ingredient to ensure the best possible basil crop. The plants are protected from disease
by the warm and breezy Ligurian climate. After 30 days, the basil is harvested carefully
by hand. Only the tender top leaves of the plant are picked, those richest in the fragrant
aroma and flavour which characterise our excellent pesto Genovese. The quality of basil
depends very much on the region in which it is grown and we have found Genovese basil
to be the finest available. Truly this is the king of herbs.
Once it is gathered, the basil is immediately taken to our nearby factory. First it is washed,
using a whirlpool system of clean water which is constantly regulated taking into account
the delicacy of the basil leaves. The washed and disinfected basil is then spun in a drying
machine. At this stage, the flavour and appearance of the basil is still unchanged thanks
to its delicate handling. The basil is then finely chopped in special mincers. Salt and oil
is added, together with an additional layer of oil on the surface which guarantees natural
conservation. It is then stored in refrigerated cells at a constant temperature of 2°
centigrade, before mixing with other ingredients to make pesto."
