Vitelium Truffle Pesto, 50 g. Tartufata made from button mushrooms and summer truffles with their own olive oil from Molise – finely seasoned and vegan.
Vitelium Truffle Pesto, 50 g is a tartufata from Molise in Southern Italy: 69 percent button mushrooms, 5 percent summer truffles (Tuber aestivum), Vitelium's own extra virgin olive oil, salt, and natural flavoring. Finely seasoned, spreadable, and vegan, in a 50 g jar. No basil, no cheese, no pine nuts – a mushroom-truffle pesto, just as it belongs with pasta and bread in Molise.
Truffle Pesto from Vitelium is called tartufata in Italy: a sauce made from finely chopped button mushrooms and summer truffles, bound with olive oil and salt. The word pesto comes from "pestare" (to crush) and describes the production method and the degree of coarseness. Apart from that, tartufata has little in common with the green pesto from Genoa: instead of herbs and nuts, the jar contains mushrooms, and instead of Parmesan, olive oil provides the binding. Vitelium produces it according to a classic regional recipe, using truffles from Molise and oil from their own groves. Tuesday evening, the pasta water is boiling, and there is little in the fridge. One spoonful from this jar, a splash of pasta water, and the pasta tastes like autumn in the forest.
Taste
The tartufata tastes first of mushrooms, then of truffle, and finally of good olive oil. The button mushrooms provide a soft, slightly nutty mushroom base, which makes up the majority of the jar. On top of this, the summer truffle adds its earthy, subtly garlicky note. The natural flavoring in the ingredients list supports this truffle note, as summer truffles are naturally more subtle than the white truffle found in autumn.
The extra virgin olive oil comes from Vitelium's early harvest and adds a green, slightly bitter note that keeps the pesto fresh. Salt rounds it off. The consistency is fine-grained and spreadable, dense enough for bread and loose enough to combine with a little pasta water to form a sauce.
Compared to the White Truffle Cream from the same producer, the tartufata is heartier and more rustic. The cream uses cream and Caciocavallo, whereas the tartufata uses only mushrooms, oil, and salt. Anyone looking for the heavy perfume of fresh white truffle will find the earthier, more everyday version here.
Use
The classic application is pasta. Cook tagliatelle or spaghetti, take a heaped tablespoon of tartufata per serving, stir it in a bowl with two tablespoons of pasta water, and toss in the pasta. The starch in the water turns the pesto into a silky sauce. On a weekday, that is enough; at most, add pepper and a few drops of olive oil.
For steak, add a spoonful directly to the meat as soon as it comes off the grill or out of the pan. The heat releases the truffle aroma. It works the same way on grilled vegetables: grill zucchini, eggplant, or bell peppers, then spread a dollop of tartufata on top. On a pizza bianca with mozzarella, the pesto is added to the hot tray only after baking.
As a bread spread, the tartufata is vegan and stands on its own. Toast white bread, spread the pesto thinly, and top with a few slices of sautéed mushrooms for a ready-made bruschetta for the aperitivo. A teaspoon in a light sauce or in a risotto just before serving adds depth to the dish without needing to buy fresh truffles. You can find a recipe for this in the Truffle Risotto section.
The jar keeps well when stored in a cool, dark place. After opening, keep it in the refrigerator and use it up quickly. Always use a clean spoon so that the surface remains fresh. If there is a little left over, stir it into mashed potatoes the next day.
Our tip: Mix a teaspoon of tartufata with three tablespoons of mayonnaise and a few drops of lemon juice. This truffle mayo goes well with baked potatoes, burgers, and French fries. Instructions can be found in our Truffle Fries recipe.
Origin
The tartufata is made in Provvidenti, a small village in the province of Campobasso in Molise, a region south of Abruzzo. There, Dr. Davide Petrollino tends to Vitelium's olive groves and manages production. He is from Campobasso, is a plant biologist, and researched at the University of Ferrara for ten years before returning to his homeland. He inherited the olive grove with its centuries-old trees from his grandfather.
His wife, Constanze Engelbrecht, runs Vitelium GmbH from Hamburg and handles distribution in Germany. An Italian manufactory with a Hamburg office – that is how they describe their company themselves. The name is derived from the Oscan word "Viteliú," which later became Italia.
The summer truffles for the pesto come from Molise. Angelo, a friend from the neighboring village, hunts for them with his own dogs in the region's forests. The olive oil in the jar comes from their own groves. The olives are harvested by hand starting in mid-October at the green stage of ripeness. Within six hours, they are in the oil mill and are centrifuged below 27 degrees. Vitelium cans the truffle pestos every year starting in October, in parallel with the olive harvest. No fertilizers or pesticides are used in cultivation.
For whom
The 50 g jar is the size to get to know the product. It is enough for two to three servings of pasta or for a truffle evening for two with bruschetta and steak. As a small gift, it fits in any jacket pocket, and with a pack of tagliatelle, it becomes a gift that can be cooked immediately. For families, the small jar is a test to see if the children like truffles before buying the large jar. If you use the tartufata more often, go for the Truffle Pesto in the 90 g jar.
As an addition, we recommend the Porcini Mushroom Pâté with Truffles, which is more aromatic due to the laurel and cloves. You can find more varieties in our Pesto category, and all oils and truffle products from Molise on the Vitelium page.
Note: The pesto is vegan but may contain traces of milk, gluten, celery, and nuts. It is not suitable for those expecting a green herb pesto or who avoid mushrooms.
A tartufata made from button mushrooms and summer truffles in a small jar – for a first taste, quick pasta, or as a gift for mushroom lovers.
