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I tried 6 jars of pesto from the store and ranked them from worst to best

I tried 6 jars of pesto from the store and ranked them from worst to best

Chelsea Davis

I tested six jars of pesto and ranked them from worst to best.Chelsea Davis

I taste-tested six store-bought pesto sauces to find out which is the best.
Classico's was too oily for my liking, and Whole Foods' wasn't as cheesy as its contenders.

Pesto is usually made with ingredients like pine nuts, basil, garlic, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese.

I tend to prefer when those ingredients are fresh in a homemade sauce, but I decided to taste-test six jars from the store to see if anything compared.

I tried each pesto with plain rigatoni and ranked them from my least favorite to my favorite.

6. Signature Select's traditional basil pesto sauce

I didn't like the tart flavor that Signature Select's pesto had. Chelsea Davis

Aside from the sauce being a bit tart, I wasn't getting a ton of basil or pine-nut flavor.

It also didn't really have the fresh taste I prefer in a pesto.

5. Classico traditional basil pesto

There were a lot of things I didn't really like about Classico's pesto. Chelsea Davis

Classico's pesto had an oily consistency, and I didn't like the texture of the dried herbs.

It tasted heavily of anise and oregano, which I'm not a fan of. I also didn't like that the pesto didn't include nuts, which I think add a lot to the sauce.

But I appreciated the addition of garlic. Unfortunately, it just didn't do enough to save the overall flavor for me.

4. Whole Foods basil pesto

I wasn't impressed by Whole Foods' pesto. Chelsea Davis

The texture of Whole Foods' pesto was thick, and I thought it tasted minty compared to the other versions.

Although I could taste the cheese, there weren't any visible pieces of it to add to the overall texture.

3. Organics plant-based basil pesto

I wish there was cheese in it, but I didn't mind Organics' pesto. Chelsea Davis

I enjoyed Organics' pesto. Since it's plant-based, though, it didn't contain any cheese. I found that I missed the texture and tang cheese can often add to a pesto sauce.

The flavor was a little bitter, but overall, it was a very standard sauce.

2. Barilla rustic basil pesto

Although Barilla's pesto was a bit oily, I didn't mind it. Chelsea Davis

Barilla's rustic basil pesto — made with Italian basil according to the jar — was decent.

The sauce was a bit oily, like Classico's, but I thought it had a better mouthfeel. There was also a hint of citrus and added olives, which I enjoyed.

1. Rana basil pesto

Rana's pesto had a fresh taste and was cheese-forward. Chelsea Davis

I found Rana's sauce in the refrigerator section of the grocery store, which gave me high hopes. Since it's not shelf-stable, I assumed the ingredients might be a little fresher.

There was a slight pineapple flavor in my first bite that was strange, but I didn't hate it. The fresh, citrusy flavor balanced out the rich oil.

It was also cheese-forward, which I was looking for.

The pesto was a little grainy but I liked the consistency, especially the added texture from the cheese.

If I were to use a store-bought pesto, Rana's would be the one I'd buy again. It tasted fresh, traditional, and balanced.