The name is the past participle of the Genoese verb paste; (Italian: pestare), which means to pound, to crush, in reference to the original method of preparation: according to tradition, the ingredients are "crushed" or ground in a marble mortar through a circular motion of a wooden pestle. This same Latin root, through Old French, also gave rise to the English noun pestle. -Pesto refers to a dish who's ingredients are pounded together.

Pesto, or to refer to the original dish "Pesto Alla Genovese" is a sauce originating in Genoa, The capital City of Liguria, Italy. It traditionally consists of crushed garlic, European pine nuts, coarse salt, basil leaves, hard cheese such as Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Sardo (or Sheep's Milk), all blended with olive oil.