I've never even heard of putting butter in. Just basil, pine nuts, Parmesan and EVOO.

In the regular basil pesto, I don't use butter but I've seen pesto using butter. Hope you find that recipe to post, Roselin.

I found it in "The Joy of Pasta".......nice little cookbook.
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
2c tightly packed fresh basil leaves
2T pine nuts
1/2c olive oil
1/2c freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2T Romano cheese
4T butter, softened
Process all together in food processor.

Yields enough for 1# pasta.~
RL`

I bet that makes it really good on pasta.

I think that the recipe you are looking for is probably Marcella Hazan.

Pesto

According to Marcella Hazan, doyenne of Italian cooking, you should never blanch the basil leaves you use for pesto. But many recent American recipes recommend that you do blanch the leaves, to retain the herbÂs brilliant green color. The great debate is really about which is more important, color or taste, with Americans going for appearance and the Italians not minding what color it is as long as it tastes good. Marcella says that "pesto is never cooked, or heated." She also claims that "It is unlikely that any pesto will taste quite like the one made with the magically scented basil of the Italian Riviera." Perhaps. But IÂd like to invite her to taste the ones I make from the magically scented basil of local Illinois farms.

Marcella HazanÂs Classic Pesto

(from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, Knopf, 1992)

2 cups tightly packed fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 Tablespoons pine nuts

2 garlic cloves, peeled

pinch of salt

1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano

2 Tablespoons freshly grated Romano cheese

3 Tablespoons butter at room temperature

1. Wash the basil in cold water and pat dry.

2. Put basil, olive oil, pine nuts, garlic, and an ample pinch of salt in the food processor and process until creamy.

3. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the grated cheeses. Then mix in the softened butter. Serve on pasta or vegetables.

Ginger, I made and froze some cilantro pesto with lime and some lemon parsley pesto today too. Used toasted almonds in the cilantro pesto and it sure smelled good.

Oh, and thanks but I also found it in my "Italy, The Vegetarian Table" cookbook also but it only calls for 2T of butter.
RL`

How do you make the cilantro pesto?

I used 2c cilantro, 1 clove garlic, 1/4c toasted almonds, 1tsp lime zest, 1/4 c olive oil and 1/2 c Parmesan cheese.
That one is from Sunset and Julia Della Croce is the author of "Italy". I seem to have a plethora of Italian cookbooks.

This Deli makes a wonderful veggie wrap with a mayo pesto. It is excellent. I wonder what is in it.

They likely mix mayo and pesto and spread it on the tortilla.
I put a little lemon juice in my pesto...I like the taste and it keeps the basil nice and green.
Linda C