Skip to Content

Garlic Scapes Pesto, a Farmer’s Market Favorite

Sharing is caring!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. 

Garlic Scapes Pesto…serve this vegetarian farmer’s market favorite over pasta or chicken, spread on sandwiches or paninis, or even as an appetizer dip for bread! It freezes well too.

Garlic Scapes Pesto...serve this vegetarian farmer's market favorite over pasta or chicken, spread on sandwiches or paninis, or even as an appetizer dip for bread! It freezes well too!

Garlic Scapes Pesto

I never even knew pesto existed until I married my husband.

Clearly I was living under a rock.

My husband’s mother and his late father are both amazing cooks. They introduced me to so many of my favorite foods, pesto being one of them.

The nice thing about pesto is it is a versatile dish. We use it on pasta, in paninis, over chicken…so many different ways!

You can make it with a number of different herbs, and a variety of nuts too…pine nuts, walnuts, and almonds are what we typically use.  During the early part of the growing season, we also substitute garlic scapes for garlic.

Garlic Scapes at the farm

Garlic scapes are the curly green stalks that grow on garlic plants. In early summer, they’re cut from the plant to allow the garlic bulb to completely develop. If they’re left on, they divert strength away from the bulb’s growth.

Luckily for us that this is the case, because they are really quite tasty!

You can chop them and use them in salads, as a topping the way you would use scallions, or sauté them with any dish in which you would normally use garlic. I just started grilling them, and they are really good that way too!

Garlic Scapes Pesto...serve this vegetarian farmer's market favorite over pasta or chicken, spread on sandwiches or paninis, or even as an appetizer dip for bread! It freezes well too!

Although you can use different herbs for pesto, the most traditional one used is basil.

We get basil from our CSA at a local farm, but every year we also supplement with our own basil plants. You can never have too much basil!

We don’t have a good spot for a garden, but we do have pots on our back deck. This way we are able to make pesto all summer long, and we freeze it so we can enjoy it in the winter too.

Just a note on freezing pesto…there are some that say you shouldn’t include the cheese when freezing. We always do, and there has never been an issue. I find it much easier than adding the cheese afterwards. 

I’ve been freezing my pesto in Ball Jars, which are freezer safe, and using their plastic lids. I use these smaller Ball jars for smaller servings, like what we would use for a chicken dish or paninis. 

The Ball jar above is what I would store my normal freezer size, and I use the same plastic storage lids. I add a very thin coating of olive oil to the top before I freeze the jar. 

 

Garlic Scapes Pesto is very easy to make. If you have a food processor, you can have it ready to go in minutes!
 
You’re going to remove the whips on the garlic scapes and discard those, and chop the remaining garlic scape into smaller pieces before adding them to the food processor. Process them first before adding any other ingredients, because you want to break those pieces down. 
 
Then you’re going to add the almonds and basil and continue to process.
 
Once you’re satisfied with the consistency (and keep in mind between the almonds and the garlic scapes, this is not going to be as smooth as traditional pesto would be), then go ahead and add your olive oil and lemon juice in a steady stream while continuing to blend.
 
Lastly, you’ll add your parmesan and give it a pulse or two or three, just to mix it all together.
 
Season to taste with salt and pepper and you are ready to go! 
 
Garlic Scapes Pesto...serve this vegetarian farmer's market favorite over pasta or chicken, spread on sandwiches or paninis, or even as an appetizer dip for bread! It freezes well too!
 
You should have enough for at least two pounds of pasta from this recipe (and probably a little extra beyond that).
 
It makes a nice dip for bread as well. Just saying…
 
Garlic Scapes Pesto...serve this vegetarian farmer's market favorite over pasta or chicken, spread on sandwiches or paninis, or even as an appetizer dip for bread! It freezes well too.
  

Garlic Scape Pesto

Garlic Scape Pesto

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Enjoy Garlic Scapes Pesto...a farmer's market favorite, over pasta or chicken, spread on sandwiches or paninis, or even as an appetizer dip for bread!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups basil, packed
  • 1 cup garlic scapes, whip removed, chopped
  • 1 cup slivered almonds
  • 3/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
  • Juice from one lemon
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese
  • Salt and pepper to taste.

Instructions

  1. Process garlic scapes in food processor.
  2. After they are broken down, add in the slivered almond and basil and continue to process.
  3. Add olive oil and lemon juice in a steady stream, as you continue to blend.
  4. Add parmesan and pulse a couple times to process.
  5. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Garlic Scapes Pesto...serve this vegetarian farmer's market favorite over pasta or chicken, spread on sandwiches or paninis, or even as an appetizer dip for bread! It freezes well too.

Have you ever tried garlic scapes? 

 

Dee Dee (My Midlife Kitchen)

Monday 9th of May 2016

Ha! I just posted a garlic scapes recipe a couple days ago! I love them. Grilled, blended, chopped--all so tasty. And this pesto is another great option! ;o)

Jennifer Stewart

Monday 13th of July 2015

I love pesto and the fact that it is so versatile! I love to make mine with pistachios and parsley because I can't grow herbs. I usually have to get mine at the local produce stand or my friend always has mint and basil in her backyard. I schedule a wine night and leave with a bag of herbs! Thanks for linking up Michelle!

Christine

Monday 13th of July 2015

Yum! Since garlic scapes are my new obsession I'm so happy to have this recipe. I was reading somewhere that a good thing to do is make this pesto now and freeze until the sun gold tomatoes come around and that the flavor combo is out of this world. I'm a huge fan of sun golds. Only problem is, when they roll around, you know summer is waning. Thanks for linking up at #SaucySaturdays.

Kari Klug

Friday 10th of July 2015

Now your talking my language, I like to create dishes based on what I find at the farmers market. fresh is best! Ijust had pickled garlic scapes this spring at a local restaurant.

Michelle Nahom

Monday 13th of July 2015

I do the same thing with my CSA veggies. I'm so addicted to garlic scapes now...I am using them for hummus and grilling them as well!

Coleen

Tuesday 7th of July 2015

I recently bought garlic scapes at the farmers market on a whim. Had no idea what to do with them but the farmer said they were delicious. Thanks for the recipe!

Michelle Nahom

Tuesday 7th of July 2015

They are awesome, Colleen! I use them in pesto and hummus (there is a hummus recipe on my blog too) and they are also really good grilled! We're grilling them tomorrow night.

Skip to Recipe