Truffle Pesto

Pesto al Tartufo by Greenomic Delikatessen with Summer Truffle

Pesto al Tartufo by Greenomic Delikatessen is a green basil paste with summer truffle, cashews, and Parmesan. The earthy tone of the mushroom lies over the herbal base note, and the 135-gram jar contains enough for an evening with guests.

Pesto al Tartufo is the festive pesto variety from Greenomic Delikatessen, mixed in Tuscany. Basil leads the list of ingredients, joined by sunflower oil, cashews, Parmesan, garlic, and the summer truffle that defines its character. The supply in the jar is enough for two evenings with guests.

Earthy, herbal, and finely speckled

Inside the jar is a green-brown cream in which the dark pieces of Tartufo are visible as fine specks. Upon opening, the earthy note comes first, beneath which lies the herb and a hint of forest mushroom, like the scent that rises under beech trees after a rainy day. The color is noticeably darker than the classic green version in the series.

On pasta, the cream softens immediately and spreads evenly, supported by the binding of cashews. The mushroom remains quietly in the background and does not push itself in front of the cheese, which is the more difficult exercise especially with this aroma. The salt comes from the aged cheese; this recipe brings no heat at all.

On ribbon noodles, under beef, on warm bread

Broad ribbon noodles carry it best because they offer plenty of surface area, such as the Tagliatelle al Tartufo from Good Hair Day. Add one tablespoon per person to a warm pan, add a dash of pasta water, fold in the pasta, and serve immediately. This empties about half of the small jar for four people.

A dollop on a pan-seared piece of beef turns dinner into an occasion, and in a risotto, it replaces mushrooms when there are none in the house. On warm bread with a slice of bresaola, you have an appetizer for which no one needs to cook. Combined with fried mushrooms and a spoonful of cream, it becomes a mushroom sauce in five minutes.

The summer truffle and its light interior

Tuber aestivum is the name of the summer truffle, which is hunted from May until late summer and grows under oaks and beeches. Its skin is black and coarsely textured, its interior light and crossed by white veins, and its aroma is milder than that of winter truffles.

It is precisely this restraint that makes it suitable for a shelf-stable paste, as a strong truffle would be unrecognizable after weeks in the jar. Greenomic Delikatessen has the recipe mixed in Tuscany and supports the mushroom with a natural truffle aroma so that the note carries through to the last spoonful.

Little heat, few additions

Fold the pesto into the noodles only after draining, because the aroma loses its clarity within a minute in the pot. A drop of truffle oil on top sharpens the direction; the dish needs no more seasoning. Grated Parmesan goes well with it, and it is better to be sparing with pepper.

Once opened, the jar keeps for about seven days in the refrigerator if the surface is covered with a little olive oil. You can find its milder siblings in the pesto selection, along with balsamic vinegar and olive oil on the Greenomic Delikatessen shelf.