I Tried 8 Store-Bought Pesto Brands & Only One Tasted Actually Homemade
Last weekend, I embarked on a green, garlicky adventure through the grocery store aisles.
As someone who grew up with a nonna who made pesto from scratch, I’ve always been skeptical of the jarred stuff. But with busy schedules, sometimes convenience wins.
So I grabbed eight popular brands, lined them up on my kitchen counter, and conducted the ultimate taste test to find out which one, if any, could pass for the real deal.
1. Leggo’s Pesto: A Bitter Disappointment
My taste buds practically went on strike after the first spoonful of Leggo’s. The harsh bitterness hit immediately, followed by what I can only describe as fake basil flavor—like someone created basil in a lab without ever tasting the real herb.
This jar ranked dead last in my blind test, and even mixing it with pasta couldn’t mask its artificial profile. The texture felt slick and oily without the nutty richness that makes homemade pesto so special.
When I offered some to my cat (who steals food regularly), even he walked away uninterested. That’s when you know something’s truly off!
2. Jamie Oliver’s Pesto: Chunky in All the Wrong Ways
Celebrity chef status couldn’t save this jarred disappointment. Jamie Oliver’s pesto ambushed me with random chunks of garlic that felt like little flavor bombs—and not in a good way.
The awkward texture refused to cling properly to pasta, creating an uneven eating experience where some bites packed overwhelming garlic punch while others tasted bland. I tried warming it gently, thinking heat might help distribute the flavors, but that only made the separation worse.
For a premium-priced option with a famous name attached, the lack of balance between ingredients left me wondering if Jamie actually tasted this before approving it.
3. Barilla Jarred Pesto: Thin, Oily, and Disappointing
Considering Barilla’s reputation for decent pasta, their pesto really missed the mark. My first impression? A pool of separated oil floating atop a thin, almost watery basil mixture.
Stirring helped temporarily, but the moment it hit warm pasta, the separation returned with a vengeance. The flavor lacked depth—where was the rich pine nut base? The aged cheese notes? Instead, I got something vaguely herb-adjacent with an off-putting metallic finish.
Funny enough, my neighbor who stopped by for a taste asked if I’d accidentally added too much olive oil to a homemade batch. If only that were the case!
4. Coles Pesto: Australia’s Salty Mistake
G’day disappointment! This Australian supermarket brand pesto made me reach for water after just one bite. The salt level was through the roof, completely overshadowing any basil character that might have been hiding underneath.
The acidic punch that followed the salt assault wasn’t doing it any favors either. Something about the preservative profile gave it an artificial quality that reminded me of those dehydrated soup packets from college days.
My attempt to salvage it by mixing with plain pasta and a splash of cream failed miserably. Some things just can’t be fixed, and Coles pesto proved to be one of them.
5. Whole Foods 365 Pesto: The Minty Impostor
The thick, promising appearance of Whole Foods 365 Pesto had me initially hopeful. My wallet was already thanking me for potentially finding a winner that wouldn’t break the bank.
That hope vanished with the first taste. What’s that flavor? Mint? In pesto? The strange aftertaste completely distracted from what should have been a basil-forward experience. I double-checked the ingredients list, and while mint wasn’t listed, something in the herb blend was definitely giving off that vibe.
For a store that prides itself on quality ingredients, this bizarre flavor profile felt like a major oversight in their recipe development process.
6. Plant-Based Organic Pesto: Missing the Cheesy Magic
Look, I appreciate the effort to create dairy-free options. But this plant-based pesto reminded me why traditional recipes use cheese—it provides essential savory depth that’s nearly impossible to replicate.
Without Parmesan’s umami magic, this organic option tasted one-dimensional and oddly bitter. The nutritional yeast they used as a substitute created a flavor that reminded me more of fortified breakfast cereal than aged cheese.
My vegan friend who joined the taste test confirmed my suspicions: “Even by plant-based standards, this lacks complexity.” We both agreed that a good vegan pesto needs something more than just removing the cheese—it needs to rebuild the flavor architecture from the ground up.
7. DeLallo Simply Pesto: The Greasy Letdown
The inconsistency of DeLallo Simply Pesto might be its biggest crime. The jar I picked up for this test was swimming in oil—so much that I actually had to drain some off before using it.
Beneath that oil slick, the pesto itself was oddly flat, lacking the aromatic punch that makes you close your eyes and imagine Italian hillsides. The texture clung to pasta in an unpleasantly greasy way rather than creating that velvety coating that good pesto provides.
A friend who swears by this brand insisted I got a bad batch. Maybe so, but quality control matters when you’re charging premium prices, and this jar definitely missed the mark.
8. Cucina Matese Pesto Genovese: The Homemade Doppelgänger
Finally, the champion emerged! Cucina Matese transported me straight to my grandmother’s kitchen with just one taste. The balance of fresh basil, pine nuts, olive oil, and aged cheese created that perfect harmony that’s so hard to capture in mass production.
Unlike the other contenders, this pesto had visible texture—you could actually see tiny pieces of nuts and basil rather than a homogeneous green paste. The flavor developed beautifully when tossed with hot pasta, releasing aromatic notes that filled my kitchen.
My Italian neighbor actually asked for the brand name, thinking it might be from a specialty importer. That’s when you know you’ve found the real deal!