Ingredients:
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, unsalted
two 8-oz. pkgs. of cream cheese
8 to 10 oz. jar of prepared pesto sauce
sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan cheese for garnish
Preparation:
Blend butter and cream cheese in food processor until creamy, dividing into two or more batches if necessary. Line a gelatin mold, cake pan or loaf pan with plastic wrap. Beginning and ending with the creamecheese mixture, alternate one-inch layers of cream cheese mixtures with pesto sauce, tapping the mold to let out air bubbles between layers.
Refrigerate for five to 10 minutes between layers. Repeat until the mold is full. Refrigerate four to six hours or overnight to set. Invert on a platter or tray, removing the plastic wrap. Garnish with sun-dried tomatoes and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Serve with crackers, crustinis--thin French bread slices brushed with olive oil and toasted--and/or crudites. It will keep for up to two weeks.
If you would like to make your own pesto, here is a basic recipe:
Ingredients:
2 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 to 2/3 cups olive oil
Optional ingredients:
garlic (add before processing)
pine nuts (add after processing)
cilantro (substitute for half the basil)
grated lime or lemon zest
Preparation:
Blend in a food processor until smooth.
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