pesto
masculine
pesto is the French word for the Italian sauce especially for pasta.
The term refers to the Italian sauce especially for pasta.
Meaning: an Italian sauce especially for pasta (noun)
Did you know?
- In French culinary circles, pesto is often distinguished from pistou, a Provençal sauce that typically omits the pine nuts and cheese found in the Italian version.
- When using pesto in a sentence, French speakers often pair it with maison to indicate it was made from scratch, as the loanword is frequently associated with mass-produced jars.
- While 'pesto' implies a specific nut-and-cheese base, a French cook might use the term 'pesto de…' to describe a sauce made from any green leaf, such as spinach or kale.
Examples in context
- Tu veux essayer ma nouvelle recette de pâtes au pesto? / Carrément! J'adore le pistou, donc je suis curieux de goûter ton pesto.Do you want to try my new pasta recipe with pesto? / Definitely! I love pistou, so I am curious to taste your pesto.
- Le pesto est délicieux avec ces pâtes.The pesto is delicious with these pasta.
- Je vais acheter un pot de pesto.I am going to buy a jar of pesto.
- Tu veux du pesto dans ton assiette ?Do you want some pesto on your plate?
Example conversation
Emma and Nathan are cooking dinner together in their kitchen.
- EmmaNathan, est-ce qu'il reste du pesto ?Nathan, is there any pesto left?
- NathanOui, il y a un peu de pesto ici.Yes, there is a little bit of pesto here.
- EmmaParfait, je vais l'ajouter aux pâtes.Perfect, I am going to add it to the pasta.
- NathanC'est une excellente idée, Emma.That is an excellent idea, Emma.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pesto” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
