One CSA item I get super excited about every season is garlic scapes. I have to admit, the first time I brought them home I thought they looked extraterrestrial, but after a few seasons I have come to love them. Garlic scapes are the tender stems and flowers of hard-neck garlic plants. They have a milder and sweeter garlic flavor. For me, they have come to taste like “summer” garlic since we get them early in the season. As fall approaches the bulbs mature and we get traditional garlic.
Despite it’s unusually wild appearance, garlic scapes are quite versatile. The whole scape can be sautéed or grilled. The flower can be removed, as pictured below, and the stem can be chopped and used in recipes in place of traditional garlic. It also makes a great pesto! This week I’ll be posting a few garlic scape recipes, so if you’re aiming to learn how to use this unusual vegetable then stay tuned!
For today I have Garlic Scape Pesto. This recipe is easy to prepare and it makes a mild and sweet pesto, which like traditional basil pesto, is pretty versatile. Keep it simple and serve with pasta or zucchini noodles. It also makes a great marinade for seafood and chicken!
- ⅔ C diced garlic scapes
- ⅓ C extra virgin olive oil
- ⅓ C freshly grated parmesan-reggiano
- ¼ C raw pistachios
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2-4 Tbsp water
- salt and pepper to taste
- Prep your ingredients by dicing your garlic scapes, grating your parmesan-reggiano, and squeezing your lemon.
- Combine your garlic scapes, parmesan-regginao, pistachios and lemon juice in a food processor and process at a medium speed until they are roughly chopped. Continue to run the food processor and slowly pour your olive oil in through the opening on the lid of the food processor. Process until all of the ingredients are very finely chopped and beginning to become smooth. If the pesto seems a little thick add 2-4 Tbsp of water until the desired thickness is achieved.
- Finally, stir in salt and pepper to taste. For a basic recipe, serve on pasta or zucchini noodles.
Yum! Garlic scapes are so good in salad and they look fabulous in this pesto too! Where is my spoon?
Thanks Diane! I admit that I licked the spoon after making this recipe!
I love scape, but I rarely cook with it. I think I need to pick up a bunch. Love the use of pistachio in this!
I thought the pistachios made this recipe. I love experimenting with different nuts in pestos!
I am on my way to the market and i will look for garlic scape. I have been trying a lot of snack ideas recently, a batch of this as dip could save me so nuch time.
thanks 🙂
#weeklyChallenge for #FoodBloggers @ http://pieceofcerebrum.wordpress.com
must try, looks delicious!
Thanks Claudia!
I love this interesting pesto!! The pistachios are awesome 🙂 Can’t wait to try this out!
Thanks Amanda! It’s fun trying out different pestos!
I love how you used pistachios in this instead of pine nuts! Looks amazing 🙂
Thanks Rachel!
I have seen green garlic at my local grocery store but haven’t bought it for the lack of a good recipe. Now, I have one! 🙂
Thanks Prash! The more subtle flavor of green garlic is something not to be missed!
I love garlic so I’m sure I’ll love scape. Your pesto looks perfect, I can’t wait to try it!
Thanks for the complement Michelle!
I have never heard of scapes before!! Where rock have I been under? This recipe looks amazing and I love every single ingredient so I know I am going to LOVE this! Thanks for a great recipe!!
Don’t feel bad! I had never heard of garlic scapes until I joined a CSA!
Wow ! I’m sure this will taste amazing with zucchini noodles.
It does, and I love zucchini noodles!
I love garlic scapes and don’t get to eat them enough. What a great idea to pair them with pistachios for this pesto!
Garlic scape season is far to short! Fortunately this recipe can easily be frozen for enjoying all year long!
I’ve never had garlic scapes but I’m dying to try them. Next time I go to the farmers’ market, I’ll have to look for them. Your pesto looks amazing and it’s a beautiful use for this fascinating vegetable.
Thanks Laura! Garlic scapes are totally worth a try. They’re better than garlic!
I bought some garlic scapes at the local farmer’s market, and not knowing what to do with them, I stumbled upon this recipe. This was so simple and so delicious. My pesto came out thick (I used a ninja rather than a food processor) and I put it on some pita with a fresh cucumber, Greek yogurt, and lime salad on top and it was delicious. Thank you for sharing. I will definitely make this again.
Glad you liked it! Your greek inspired paring with it sounds awesome!
Does he pesto grated parm need to be the fluffy stuff or the more solid like at an Italian Rest?
Hi Bill- The key is that you use fresh parm from the refrigerator section (not the Kraft stuff that comes in a green shaker bottle). I used the shredded parm in this recipe, but the fluffy, grated stuff will work too as long as its fresh. I hope that helps!