Pesto with roasted potatoes and sirloin steak. Vegan variations of pesto can include mixes of fresh basil, nuts such as walnut or pine nut, olive oil, and the addition of miso paste and nutritional yeast to provide additional flavor enhancement to the dish. For reasons of expense or availability, walnuts, pecans, cashews or even peanuts are sometimes substituted for the traditional pine nuts. Also, while the nuts are traditionally used as is, some recipes call for prior toasting. While not preferable, other culinary nuts may be used due to the taste disturbances that some people may experience after consuming pine nuts
Pesto through a circular motion of a wooden pestle. This same Latin root, through Old French, also gave rise to the English noun "pestle". Strictly speaking, "pesto" is a generic term for anything that is made by pounding; that is why the word is used for several pestos in Italy. Nonetheless, "pesto alla genovese" ("Genoese pesto") remains the most popular pesto in Italy and the rest of the world. Pesto is thought to have two predecessors in ancient times, going back as far as the Roman age. The ancient Romans used to eat a similar paste called moretum, which was made