Mara Pesti Genovese basil pesto in a large glass jar, for trofie and linguine, pasta salads, sandwiches, pizza and grilled vegetables.
Mara's jar is wide and squat with a white lid and a navy label: the red heart logo with Italian Goodness on the left, Pesti in white script on the right, a gold medal-style seal and a small olive oil bottle in the middle, and Genovese basil pesto on a pale green strip with basil leaves. Through the glass the pesto is a deep olive green. The gallery shows it tossed through fusilli in a frying pan with fresh basil, and in a pasta salad with cherry tomatoes and small white cheese balls beside a basket of bread. As general background, pesto originated in the Ligurian city of Genoa and is used to dress pasta, and it is traditionally pounded in a marble mortar with a wooden pestle. A large jar typically suits a busy pasta kitchen. Commonly, cooks loosen it with a little pasta water before tossing through trofie, linguine or gnocchi, spread it inside chicken and mozzarella panini, and dot it over margherita pizza after baking. It also dresses roast potatoes and grilled courgette. The wide mouth of the jar makes it easy to scoop. Cover the surface with olive oil after each use and keep the jar chilled.
