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Fresh Garlic Scape Pesto Recipe with Toasted Pine Nuts and Parmesan

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A bright, punchy, herbaceous pesto made from fresh garlic scapes, toasted pine nuts, and Parmesan cheese. This easy homemade pesto is perfect for spring and summer meals, adding fresh flavor to pasta, sandwiches, and more.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup chopped garlic scapes (about 8–10 scapes)
  • ½ cup toasted pine nuts (70 grams)
  • ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 50 grams)
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil (120 ml)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (15 ml)
  • ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Optional: handful of fresh basil leaves
  • Optional: sprinkle of red pepper flakes
  • Optional: substitute pine nuts with toasted walnuts, almonds, or sunflower seeds

Instructions

  1. Rinse and pat dry about 1 cup chopped garlic scapes (8-10 scapes). Chop into roughly 1-inch pieces for easier blending. This takes about 5 minutes.
  2. Heat a small dry skillet over medium heat. Add ½ cup pine nuts and toast, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes until golden and aromatic. Remove from heat immediately to prevent burning. Cool for a few minutes.
  3. Grate about ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese using a microplane or fine grater.
  4. Add chopped garlic scapes, toasted pine nuts, grated Parmesan, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper to a food processor or high-speed blender.
  5. Pulse several times (about 5-6 quick pulses) to roughly chop the ingredients together.
  6. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in ½ cup (120 ml) extra virgin olive oil. Continue blending for 30-45 seconds until the pesto reaches desired consistency—smooth but with some texture.
  7. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, lemon juice, or pepper if needed. If too thick, add a teaspoon or two of water or more olive oil to loosen.
  8. Transfer pesto to a clean jar or bowl. Cover tightly if storing. Best used within 3-4 days refrigerated.

Notes

[‘Do not skip toasting the pine nuts to unlock their nutty, buttery richness.’, ‘Use fresh garlic scapes for best flavor; older scapes can taste bitter.’, ‘Grate Parmesan fresh for better texture and flavor.’, ‘Pulse ingredients rather than blending continuously to avoid bitterness.’, ‘Add olive oil slowly to control pesto thickness.’, ‘Cover pesto with a thin layer of olive oil if storing to prevent browning.’, ‘Pesto can be frozen in ice cube trays for individual portions.’]

Nutrition

Keywords: garlic scape pesto, pesto recipe, toasted pine nuts, Parmesan pesto, spring recipe, homemade pesto, easy pesto, fresh pesto

Find it online: https://junomeals.com/fresh-garlic-scape-pesto-recipe-with-toasted-pine-nuts-and-parmesan-easy-homemade-guide/