Garlic Scape and Basil Pesto
Garlic scapes (which are the stems and unopened flower buds of the hard-neck garlic varieties) offer a lovely mild garlic flavour with a hint of sweetness.
This pesto recipe offers a variety of ways to use these delicious garlic scapes. You can use this pesto on your favourite pasta (mixing in pesto with pasta and a little pasta water), use as a pesto sauce on pizza, spread onto fresh baguette and bake for a different take on garlic bread, use as a spread on sandwiches or burgers, toss potatoes in pesto and roast... the options are endless!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Salted Almonds
- 10 Garlic Scapes
- 1/2 cup Fresh Basil Leaves
- 2/3 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1 teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper
- 1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt to taste
- Squeeze of lemon (optional)
Directions
- Wash and trim the ends of your garlic scapes and gently wash your fresh basil leaves.
- Grate approximately 2/3 cup of parmesan cheese.
- Add 1/2 cup salted almonds, your 10 garlic scapes, and the 1/2 cup of fresh basil to blender, and puree.
- Add 2/3 cup parmesan cheese and 1 teaspoon of fresh ground pepper and blend.
- While the motor of the blender is running, slowly add the 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil.
- Add a good squeeze of lemon, and blend.
- Add salt to taste.
Pesto keeps in the fridge for one week, but it also freezes well for future use!
(Freezing Tip: place in ice cube tray for individual frozen portions)
Enjoy!
