Garlic scape pesto is the talk of the town and now you can actually buy garlic scapes at markets. So I thought it was about time to remind you about this swirly, magical offshoot of garlic.
The year was 2013. I had written a post about how to make garlic scape pesto, the best pesto you'll ever eat. The kind of pesto that will ruin you for regular pesto for the rest of your life. At that time garlic scapes were still a bit of an anomaly. The kind of thing weirdos and food hustlers were trying to get you to eat.
Like corn smut. Which I was gullible enough to eat last summer when I found the fungus growing on my corn.
Back then, in 2013, Garlic scapes were what the underground cool kids were cooking.
Now garlic scapes have made their way to farmer's markets and people actually know what they are even if they still aren't quite sure what to do with them.
I've tried scapes many ways including sautéed, grilled and as a fashion accessory. But really the only thing you should do with them is make garlic scape pesto. I make 3 or 4 batches of this, freeze it in ice cube trays and then throw them all into a big freezer bag and pull them out as I need them.
To make garlic scape pesto you only need a few ingredients, and really only a few scapes.
10 scapes will get you a batch of pesto that will serve 8 people.
Before I give you the recipe here's a refresher of what a garlic scape is (a lot of people missed out on the entire year of 2013 on account of the Candy Crush addiction epidemic.)
What is a garlic scape?
- A garlic scape is the round stem that grows out of the centre of the garlic plant in late June.
- That stem eventually turns into the flower head of the garlic and will produce seeds.
- Scapes need to be cut off of growing garlic to allow the garlic plant to push its energy towards growing the garlic bulb, not the garlic flower.
- They're a delicacy that only comes once a year for a very short period of time. Like fiddleheads or ramps. Or a really funny Saturday Night Live skit.
This is a "brighter" version of pesto from the addition of lemon juice. You can add more or less lemon juice as you like but the amount in the recipe below is the amount I use in all my batches.
You just whizz everything together in a blender or food processor and you're done.
There's no cooking.
No heating.
No nothing.
You blend, and then serve or freeze.
Garlic Scape Pesto
Ingredients
- 1 cup rough chopped garlic scapes apx. 10 scapes
- ½ cup basil
- ½ cup toasted pine nuts
- ½ lemon juice & zest
- 1 teaspoon salt
- black pepper
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Toast pine nuts in a dry pan over medium/low heat for a few minutes. Toss them and turn them until they just start to brown.
- Pulse first 7 ingredients in food processor or blender (everything but the oil) until everything is chopped up.
- Slowly drizzle in oil with processor or blender running.
- Serve over linguine. (you can heat your pesto in a pan first if you like)
Notes
Nutrition
I do 4 things with this pesto: put it on linguine, give it away, make pesto pizza, and make this recipe for pasta with garden vegetables, goat cheese and ... pesto.
There isn't much time left so if you want to make this head to a farmer's market immediately or find someone who's growing garlic and beg for a few scapes. Don't give them the recipe though because they'll never give you any scapes then. They'll keep them all for themselves. That's an insider tip right there.
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Cherie
This is, bar none, the best pesto recipe I have ever used. I did, however, make a slight change. Instead of 1 cup of olive oil, I used just 3/4 cup and rather than freeze in ice cube trays, I froze them in small Rubbermaid containers. There are just enough scapes left in my fridge to make another batch later this week. I'm finishing off a batch of your recipe combined with Chef John's recipe of Bread and Butter Pickles. Cherie
Karen
Thanks so much for coming back and leaving a comment. :) I'm glad you loved it. Next step for you? Trying it on pizza with pecans, goat cheese, basil leaves and honey! (recipe coming up in a couple of weeks) ~ karen!
Manisha
This is really the only pesto I like (actually I also really love pea vine shoots pesto too) and I've been making this for years. But have never added lemon, so of course, I will try your tip and probably love it. I go nuts over this pesto in the middle of winter! So wonderful to make naan pizza with this pesto. Can't wait to make mine this weekend!
Marna
Thanks will have to try this. My family loves garlic. I have grown garlic chives for 40 years for that reason. I wish I had known about this when I grew garlic, might have to do grow it again. I like the walnut idea too! :)
Karen
It's delicious, you'll love it! ~ karen
Andrea
I have everything I need to make this delicious sounding pesto but I did substitute walnuts for pine nuts which are quite expensive here. One question, should I toast the walnuts or would that only apply to pine nuts?
Karen
Hi Andrea! Toast the walnuts as well. Careful not to burn them though :) ~ karen!
Nora Crane
I made this recipe Friday night & served with lightly breaded & fried haddock. It was superb! Thank you for providing us with one of those recipes that is a life-long keeper. The lemon is perfect.
Stephanie
I seem to recall somewhere a recipe for pesto that used less oil but used chicken stock...?It may have been in an old Marcela Hazan book or something. I don't remember. Too many pesto recipes are dancing in my head.
Karen Jeanne
Please don't chase me away from your blog with a pitchfork for asking this: in the unfortunate case of someone who cannot eat high fat foods, is there another way to prepare this recipe that doesn't include the cup of olive oil? I understand fat = flavor, but it can also lead to pain for me. If you know of a way to modify the recipe so I can eat it, that would be lovely. I have figured out how to modify baked goods, but I'm not sure how to alter savory foods that call for this much oil. Could I just leave that ingredient out? Thanks in advance!
Stephanie
deeply buried in my memory is a pesto recipe that used less oil but added chicken stock...maybe an old Marcella Hazan book? Cooks Illustrated?
Laura Bee
I have wanted to try garlic scapes sinve you first posted about them. And yesterday my sister gave me her last 4 scapes as I was leaving her place.
Going to make a small batch of this later today.
Lianne
Oooh! Just cut my scales off yesterday! Last year I made the pesto and added a some to a mix of cream cheese & sour cream to make a delicious dip!
I always cut the flower "bud" part off and discard it, is it edible?
Carol
Very good. Thanks for sharing.
Jan in Waterdown
The best place imo to buy pine nuts is Costco. I can’t remember the price difference cuz I’m getting old and stupid but it was worth buying that big honkin’ bag to stuff in the frig (otherwise they’ll go rancid like walnuts do) then scoop out handfuls as needed. It seems to last forever.
Karen
Yeah, I've bought bags there in the past and kept them in the freezer but I didn't want to drive there just for pine nuts. :/ ~ karen!
Glenda
I’ll have to get a 2nd mortgage so I can afford pine nuts. Scratch!
Karen
Just use walnuts. They taste not exactly the same, but similar. When I paid for my pine nuts I could choke it down by figuring well, it's about $8 for the amount I need for the recipe and it serves 8. So $1 a serving isn't so bad. ~ karen!
Lauren
Wow! In our neck of the woods Pine Nuts are MUCH cheaper than walnuts. I nearly fell over when you suggested the substitution. I got 1/2 cup for $2. Of course I keep burning them....
Idaho Girl
Perfect timing as always! I was eyeballing my garlic scapes this morning when I was watering the raised beds next to the garlic before work this morning, and making a mental post-it to harvest them this weekend. In fact, I wasn't able to install one of the raised beds from Christmas because I already had my garlic planted there and didn't want to sacrifice it. I'm anxiously waiting until the bulbs are ready to harvest so I can get that last bed erected and put it to use. I'm hosting a bridal shower in a few months with kind of a lemonade theme (bridesmaid's idea), so I'm thinking Garlic Scape Pesto w/Lemon is now being added to the lunch menu - thanks Karen!
Kitty McCarty
This sounds wonderful. Problem is I have no garden & haven't seen them for sale here (too new of an idea?). However, I have a ton of wild garlic in my yard. Any chance they would work? Please say yes, then I can stop cursing them.
Mary W
HELP: I don't have garlic scapes, but have a pot full of chive scapes that I want desperately for you to say will work the same. They are bending over in a marvelous curtsy to me the queen of my garden. Actually I'm more like the sub-servant of my garden with Henry VIII grasshoppers and Count Dracula aphids the true royalty.
Brenda
try it - I bet it will taste amazing!!!
... you could toss in a clove or two of garlic for good measure!
Garlic scape pesto is my favourite but I never thought of putting lemon + zest in it - that I've got to try now!
Suz
Perfect timing! We got scapes with our CSA share last night!
Karen
I figured. :) That's why I decided to remind everyone about it right now. Enjoy! ~ karen
LISA STEELE
Would love to stay and chat, but I have scapes to pick and pesto to make! Can't wait to try your recipe!
Karen
Hey Lisa! It's a good recipe! Easily one of my favourites from my own kitchen. ~ karen!
Darlene
Fantastic to get this recipe Karen. I purchased garlic scapes at our local once a few years ago. I attacked one raw found it to be like chewing on tree bark so gave the rest to my friend. He was excited to my surprise. Obviously he knew something I didn't. I have garlic in my garden so will make your pesto Karen. Thanks kindly.
Karen
Hi Darlene! The scapes you bought might have been left on the plant too long. They do get woody or ... tough and splintery. So if you have some on your garlic, make sure you cut them to use before they get that way! They should form one loop (or circle) and that's when to cut them off. ~ karen!
Sabina
Harvested my scapes last week and made a double batch, then found more! This is my favorite summer recipe!
Karen
Me too! Plus it lasts all year. ~ karen
Emie
We've been long time growers of garlic... 30 years or so. About 10 years ago we were at a garlic festival at a local winery and they had garlic scape pesto samples with a recipe. I've been making some version of it ever since. They are the unsung hero of early summer gardening. I'm going to try your recipe as I love lemon. Thanks.
Karen
Hope you like it! The lemon isn't overpowering, just enough to add some brightness. ~ karen!
Julie Anne
I just bought garlic scapes for the first time yesterday. Now I know what to do with them. Thank you.
Carswell
They are really nice when you chop them into short chunks and sauté them lightly. They taste like very sweet and mild garlic. Yummm.