pesto

American  

[pes-toh] / ˈpɛs toʊ /

noun

Italian Cooking.

1. a sauce typically made with basil, pine nuts, olive oil, and grated Parmesan blended together and served hot or cold over pasta, fish, or meat.

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pesto British  

/ ˈpɛstəʊ /

noun

1. a sauce for pasta, consisting of basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic, oil, and Parmesan cheese, all crushed together

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Etymology

Origin of pesto

First recorded in 1935–40; from Upper Italian (compare Genoese dialect pésto “pesto”), Italian; noun derivative of pestare “to pound, crush”; see piste

Explanation

That bright green sauce on your pasta? It's probably pesto, a delicious combination of garlic, basil, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, and pine nuts. The traditional version of pesto, invented in Genoa, Italy, is salty and garlicky, and it's made by crushing all the ingredients by hand using a mortar and pestle. The word pesto itself comes from this technique — its root is the Italian pestare, "to pound or crush." If you want to be absolutely sure you're getting this original, authentic version in an Italian restaurant, you can specify pesto alla genovese, or "Genoese pesto," when you order.

Example Sentences

Now it’s expanding to New York, answering the pleas of Manhattanites who have been clamoring for its chicken Caesar wraps and gluten-free pesto pasta.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

There's even a focaccia cake with roasted tomato, pesto and feta icing – a savoury offering Sunga is delighted to see.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

Potato flatbread with spruce sprout pesto and pickled white currant.

From Salon • Mar. 8, 2026

I was pleasantly surprised by the selections in the mini lounge and took a cheese plate, turkey sandwich with pesto pasta salad and some snacks and drinks to go.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026

How about polenta-crusted salmon filet with pesto sauce and a nice glass of J. Lohr Chardonnay?

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich