Embrace the unique flavors of the season with Garlic Scape Pesto, a vibrant twist on the classic sauce that highlights the fresh, mildly garlicky taste of young garlic scapes from your garden. Blended with fragrant basil, toasted pine nuts, and a generous splash of olive oil, this pesto offers a creamy, zesty burst of summer in every spoonful. Perfect for tossing with pasta, spreading on sandwiches, or using as a dip, this versatile recipe celebrates the fleeting but fantastic flavors of early summer harvests.
![](https://backyard-eats.com/wp-content/smush-webp/2024/07/caroline-attwood-iURDaRPA_sU-unsplash-500x500.jpg.webp)
Garlic Scape Pesto
Enjoy the fresh, zesty flavors of summer with Garlic Scape Pesto, featuring young garlic scapes blended with basil, pine nuts, and olive oil for a creamy, versatile sauce.
Ingredients
- 5 garlic scapes woody ends trimmed and scapes roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice plus 1 teaspoon grated zest from 1 lemon
- Kosher salt
- 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 1.5 oz basil leaves washed with water still clinging to the leaves
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine scapes, pine nuts, and lemon juice and zest, and season with salt. Process, scraping down sides halfway through with a flexible spatula, until scapes and nuts are broken down into small pieces, about 1 minute.
- Add cheese and process until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Add basil and pulse until finely minced, about ten 1-second pulses.
- Transfer scape mixture to a medium bowl. While stirring continuously, slowly pour olive oil into scape mixture in a thin stream. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Pesto can be used right away, or transferred to a jar or container, covered with a thin layer of olive oil, and sealed, then stored following the instructions below.
Notes
Storage Note: Garlic scape pesto can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
This recipe was originally published on the Serious Eats blog
Photo by Caroline Attwood on Unsplash