Description
A vibrant, creamy pesto made with fresh garlic scapes, basil, toasted nuts, Parmesan, lemon, and extra virgin olive oil. It comes together in just 10 minutes for an easy seasonal sauce.
Ingredients
½ cup garlic scapes, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
½ cup fresh basil leaves
¼ cup pine nuts or almonds, toasted
1 medium lemon, zested and juiced
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
- Taste a small piece of raw garlic scape. If it is especially pungent, place the chopped scapes in a colander and carefully pour boiling water over them to mellow their flavor. Skip this step if the scapes are mild.
- Add the garlic scapes, fresh basil, toasted pine nuts or almonds, and kosher salt to a food processor.
- Pulse until the ingredients are finely chopped and evenly combined.
- Add the lemon zest and lemon juice, then process again until incorporated.
- With the food processor running, slowly stream in the extra virgin olive oil and process until the pesto is smooth and creamy.
- Transfer the pesto to a bowl and stir in the grated Parmesan cheese.
- Taste and adjust the salt or lemon juice as needed.
- Serve immediately or transfer to an airtight container for storage.
Notes
Substitute toasted almonds or walnuts for the pine nuts if desired.
For a milder garlic flavor, increase the basil slightly and reduce the garlic scapes.
Add extra lemon zest or juice for a brighter flavor.
Use slightly less olive oil for a thicker sandwich spread, or add extra olive oil or pasta cooking water for a looser pasta sauce.
Another finely grated hard cheese can be substituted for Parmesan.
Store refrigerated in an airtight container for several days. A thin layer of olive oil over the surface can help limit exposure to air.
For longer storage, freeze the pesto in small portions and thaw in the refrigerator before using.
For pasta, stir the pesto directly into warm pasta rather than cooking it over high heat.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Sauce
- Method: Food Processor
- Cuisine: Italian-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 187 kcal
- Sugar: 0.5 g
- Sodium: 95 mg
- Fat: 19 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Fiber: 0.7 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 5 mg
