American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth
Edition - n. A sauce consisting of usually fresh basil, garlic,
pine nuts, olive oil, and grated cheese. - n. A sauce,
especially for pasta, originating from the Genoa region, made
from basil, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil and cheese (usually
Pecorino) GNU Webster's 1913 - n. (Cookery) A sauce used in
Italian cuisine, typically made by blending olive oil, basil,
garlic, pine nuts, and grated parmesan cheese; it is served hot
or cold over pasta, meat, or fish. Where pine nuts are
expensive, sunflower seeds are sometimes substituted. - n. a
sauce typically served with pasta; contains crushed basil leaves
and garlic and pine nuts and Parmesan cheese in olive oil -
1937, from Italian pesto, contraction of pestato, form of
pestare ("to pound in a mortar"). Cognate to pestle.
(Wiktionary) - Italian, from past participle of pistare,
pestare, to pound; see piston. (American Heritage® Dictionary of
the English Language, Fourth Edition) “Add a quarter pound o