pesto
UK[ˈpestəʊ]US[ˈpestoʊ]
n
a sauce for pasta, etc., made from crushed basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic, parmesan cheese, and olive oil
Etymology
the word 'pesto' is a direct borrowing from the italian language, specifically from the genovese dialect word 'pesto', meaning 'crushed' or 'pounded'. this itself derives from the italian verb 'pestare', which has the same meaning. 'pestare' can be traced back to the latin verb 'pinsere', meaning 'to pound' or 'to crush'. the name perfectly describes the traditional method of preparing the sauce using a mortar and pestle to crush and blend the fresh ingredients into a coarse paste.
Analysis
this is a loanword from italian. it is not productively segmented into meaningful morphemes in english.
Examples
i made fresh pasta with a simple basil pesto for dinner.
you can buy a jar of pesto, but homemade is always better.
for a variation, try substituting walnuts for the pine nuts in your pesto recipe.