Garlic Scape Pesto

Take advantage of garlic scape season with this fun twist on classic pesto. Garlic scapes are the unopened flower stalks that grow from the bulb. Scapes are harvested in late spring and early summer, have a vibrant green color, a crispy texture and a mild garlic taste. The pesto can be quickly made using a food process or, if you have a few extra minutes, use a mortar & pestle for a richer aromatic flavor and more emulsified texture.

Ingredients

8 to 10 fresh garlic scapes, rinsed and ends trimmed off
1.5 cups grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Cheese
1/2 cup pine nuts (pignoli)
5-8 fresh basil leaves
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
A couple pinches of kosher salt

Preparation

Prepare the Garlic Scapes

Roughly chop the trimmed scapes.
Add to food processor with a pinch of salt and pulse to break the scapes down into a large crumbly consistency.
Transfer to a mortar to finish making the pesto (or make the entire pesto in the food processor. See Time-saving tip under Make the Pesto).
Pro-tip: A molcajete works perfectly for pesto in place of the mortar.

Make the Pesto

Add ~1/3 cup olive oil to the garlic scapes in the mortar and, using a pestle, ground the scapes into a paste.
Add pine nuts and grind into the paste.
Add the cheeses 1/2 cup at a time, another 1/3 cup olive oil and work into the paste.
Add basil, pinch of salt and ground until well combined.
Add the remaining olive oil and work into the pesto until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
Time-saving tip: Skip the mortar & pestle and make the pesto in the food processor. Simply add all Pesto ingredients except the olive oil and pulse until a paste is formed. Then, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until smooth and creamy.

Enjoy!

Use to make Gnocchi with Garlic Scape Pesto, as a sauce for any other type of pasta or spaghetti, serve with Grilled Skirt Steak or make Bruschetta with crusty Italian bread.

Nutrition Corner

Garlic scapes are nutritious addition to a healthy balanced diet. They provide a good source of fiber to support digestion, vitamin C to help boost immunity and vitamin K1 to support blood clotting.

Similar to other members of the allium family, garlic scapes contain allicin, a bioactive compound formed when the plant tissues are broken down, as when chopping or crushing. Allicin has been widely studied for its antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. Allicin has also been shown to regulate blood pressure and cholesterol levels* and may have anti-cancer properties**.

*Ravindra J, Ug Y, Pandyanda Nanjappa D, Kalladka K, Dhakal R, Chakraborty A, Chakraborty G. Allicin extracted from Allium sativum shows potent anti-cancer and antioxidant properties in zebrafish. Biomed Pharmacother. 2023 Dec 31;169:115854. doi: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115854. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37951024/

**Upadhyay S, Ahmad R, Kumar R, Ghildiyal S, Singh A, Ahmad K, Husain I, Barkat MA, Hassan MZ, Asiri YI, Siddiqui S. Exploring the ROS-mediated anti-cancer potential in human triple-negative breast cancer by garlic bulb extract: A source of therapeutically active compounds. J Tradit Complement Med. 2024 Apr 11;14(6):644-655. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcme.2024.04.003. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39850602/

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