Compound Pesto Butter

Add compound butters to a grazing board of bread, cheese, and fruits and veggies for easy entertaining. (Leslie Lennox)

Compound Pesto Butter

Chef’s Notes: These pesto butters are a lifesaver. Have four or five different flavor combinations in your freezer or refrigerator at any given time, and if you love to entertain, grab a few of your favorite flavors, bring to room temperature, and get the party started. You can use them for everything from glazing grilled fish, beef, or chicken to adding more flavor to a toasted bagel or, of course, a simple buttered pasta dish.

Makes 1 stick Total Time: 10 minutes

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup pesto

Combine the butter and pesto in a small bowl. Lay a 16-inch-long sheet of plastic wrap on a clean work surface. Transfer the pesto-flavored butter to the center of the plastic wrap. Using the plastic, form it into an approximately 2 1/2 x 8-inch log (similar to slice-and-bake cookie dough). Wrap tightly in the plastic wrap, twisting the ends like a wrapped hard candy, and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month or in the freezer for up to 4 months.

Serving Suggestions for a Cocktail Party

Cut a variety of breads and place them in a large basket. Gather smaller bowls to put out various cheeses, jams, sliced hardboiled eggs, and compound pesto butter. Other options would be watermelon radish slices, cucumber slices, figs, roasted peppers, apple and peach slices, and mixed nuts.

Reprinted with permission from “Pesto: The Modern Mother Sauce“ by Leslie Lennox, Agate Surrey, 2019.

"Pesto: The Modern Mother Sauce" by Leslie Lennox (Agate Surrey, $26).