Pesto vs. Pistou — What's the Difference?

Pesto (Italian: [ˈpesto], Ligurian: [ˈpestu]), or (to refer to the original dish) pesto alla genovese (Italian pronunciation: [ˈpesto alla dʒenoˈveːse, -eːze]), 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, and hard cheese such as Parmigiano-Reggiano (also known as Parmesan cheese) or Pecorino Sardo (cheese made from sheep's milk), all blended with olive oil.

Pistou (Provençal: pisto (classical) or pistou (Mistralian), pronounced [ˈpistu]), or pistou sauce, is a Provençal cold sauce made from cloves of garlic, fresh basil, and olive oil. It is somewhat similar to the Ligurian sauce pesto, although it lacks pine nuts.

A sauce consisting of fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil, and grated cheese.

A sauce made of garlic, basil, olive oil, and often Parmesan, used on pasta or in soups and stews.

Any of various similar sauces.

A soup or stew flavored with this sauce.

A sauce, especially for pasta, originating from the Genoa region in Italy, made from basil, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil and cheese (usually pecorino).

A cold sauce made from cloves of garlic, fresh basil, and olive oil.

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.