Garlic-Basil Compound Butter
Pesto and garlic butter are already powerhouses, but mixing them does something strange. The basil oils wake up. The garlic softens. The butter becomes a carrier for flavor instead of just fat. It’s like the ingredients negotiate with each other overnight and decide to become something better than either one alone.
Andrew Aasen
7/17/20261 min read
Ingredients
⅔ cup butter, margarine, or vegan butter, softened
Choose two of the following garlic options:
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ tablespoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon garlic crystals, crushed
The floral buds and top leaves from any basil branch that's threatening to bloom, finely chopped
Or, if you're between basil harvests:
1 teaspoon dried oregano
(I like to mix it up because it's good either way. Someday I'll try fresh oregano in this recipe.)
1 frozen pesto cube (about 1 tablespoon), thawed
Directions
Allow the butter to soften to room temperature.
Combine the butter with your two chosen garlic ingredients.
Stir in the chopped basil (or the oregano).
Mix in the thawed pesto cube until everything is evenly incorporated.
Refrigerate until firm, or use immediately on warm bread, vegetables, potatoes, pasta, or grilled meats.
Notes
I freeze my pesto in cubes, each equal to one tablespoon. If I know I'll be making garlic butter the next day, I simply leave one cube in the butter dish overnight to thaw. It makes an incredibly flavorful compound butter.
Harvest Tip
Use the unopened flower buds and the small leaves at the tip of any basil stem that's beginning to bloom. Avoid using open basil flowers in this recipe. While the flowers are perfectly edible, their nectar is naturally sweet, and that sweetness doesn't belong in a savory garlic butter. Save the blossoms for a salad garnish, a drink, or another use where their subtle sweetness can shine.