Truffle Pesto – Tartufata – 90 g

Tartufata truffle pesto in a 90-g jar. Mushroom pesto with summer truffles for pizza night and family pasta.

Truffle pesto in the large size: Vitelium fills a 90-g jar with its vegan Tartufata made of mushrooms, summer truffles, its own olive oil and salt. No green pesto, no cream, no flavored oil.

At Vitelium, truffle pesto is called Tartufata and consists of just over two-thirds mushrooms, with summer truffles and extra virgin olive oil added. Friday evening, six people in the kitchen, three pizzas in the oven. After baking, a few spoonfuls of Tartufata are added to each tray, and by the end, the jar is almost empty.

The 90-g size is made for such evenings. It is aimed at households where mushroom pesto is no longer an exception, but part of the basic pantry.

Mild, mushroomy and with green olive oil

The Tartufata tastes full-bodied and mushroomy, with nutty truffle in the middle and a light olive oil bite at the end. Mushrooms make up 69 percent and give it a soft, almost sweet base. Five percent summer truffles and a natural aroma provide the truffle scent.

The olive oil is more than a binder. A green-fruity oil from early-harvested olives brings a bitter note and a scratch in the throat, which oil tasters value as a positive characteristic. In the Tartufata, precisely this note prevents the pesto from feeling heavy or greasy.

Because the seasoning deliberately remains mild, the pesto also suits children who refuse strong spices. However, anyone expecting a green herb pesto will be surprised by the color and taste. It is not suitable for people with a dislike of mushrooms.

Quantities for the big table

A 90-g jar is enough for about six heaped tablespoons and thus for four to five portions of pasta. For a family pasta with 500 grams of noodles, stir four tablespoons of pesto and some cooking water smoothly in a preheated bowl. Short shapes like fusilli or orecchiette hold the pesto well.

Distribute one tablespoon in dollops on three pizza trays, directly after baking. Arugula and a few slices of mozzarella on top, you don't need more. For lamb chops from the grill, half a teaspoon per piece is enough, directly on the hot meat.

For a buffet, spread Tramezzini bread thinly with Tartufata and top it with grilled zucchini. A mushroom cream sauce for four people also gains significantly more depth with one tablespoon at the end.

For quick oven vegetables, mix two tablespoons with some olive oil and toss potato wedges and parsnips in it, but only after cooking. This way, the pesto does not burn and the truffle remains noticeable.

Good to know: After taking it out, level the paste with the back of the spoon and pour a thin film of olive oil over it. This protects the opened jar from drying out. For the first try or as a small gift, the Tartufata is also available in a 50-g jar.

The olive oil that holds the Tartufata together

Vitelium binds the pesto with olive oil from its own cultivation in Molise. Depending on the season, the olives are hand-harvested green-fruity from mid-October to early November. Only healthy fruits go into processing, and within six hours after the harvest.

In the oil mill, they are exclusively mechanically centrifuged at less than 27 degrees. Below this value, an oil can be considered cold-extracted, because delicate aromas are preserved. Vitelium states the free fatty acid content at under 0.2 percent, while up to 0.8 percent would be allowed for extra virgin oils.

Fertilizers and pesticides are not used in the groves, Dr. Davide Petrollino is responsible in Provvidenti. He specialized in olive and hemp cultivation after his research in Ferrara. The truffles come from Molise, the mushrooms from the region, the management is based in Hamburg.

A storage jar for households with a pasta routine

The large Tartufata is intended for everyone who prepares pasta, pizza, or bruschetta with truffle seasoning several times a month. Compared to the small jar, you get almost double the amount, without having to open a new jar for every meal. Sealed, it waits in the cupboard for the next pizza night.

As a gift, the large jar is suitable for families who cook a lot together. With a kilo of good pasta and a bottle of olive oil, it becomes a package for several evenings.

Anyone looking for a creamier addition to the Tartufata will find it in the White Truffle Cream with Caciocavallo in the same format. However, the cream contains cream and cheese and is therefore not an option for a vegan kitchen.

A large jar of mushroom and summer truffle for evenings with many plates. The Tartufata from Vitelium makes simple pasta and pizza a meal that is talked about at the table.