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Fresh Garlic Scape Pesto Pasta Recipe Easy Homemade with Toasted Pine Nuts

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A quick and easy pasta dish featuring fresh garlic scape pesto with toasted pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, and a bright lemon finish. Perfect for spring and early summer when garlic scapes are in season.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup fresh garlic scapes, chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 12 ounces pasta (spaghetti, linguine, or penne)
  • Optional: 1 small clove garlic
  • Optional: red pepper flakes

Instructions

  1. Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently for 3-5 minutes until golden and fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool.
  2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente (8-10 minutes). Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
  3. In a food processor, combine chopped garlic scapes, cooled toasted pine nuts, grated Parmesan, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Pulse to combine.
  4. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in olive oil until the mixture is smooth but still has some texture. Add reserved pasta water a tablespoon at a time if pesto is too thick.
  5. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper, lemon juice, garlic, or red pepper flakes if desired.
  6. Return drained pasta to the pot or a large bowl. Add pesto and toss to coat evenly. Add reserved pasta water as needed to help pesto cling to pasta.
  7. Serve immediately, garnished with extra toasted pine nuts and Parmesan cheese.

Notes

Toast pine nuts carefully over medium heat to avoid burning. Pulsing the pesto keeps a slightly chunky texture. Reserve pasta water to loosen pesto and help it cling to noodles. Fresh garlic scapes can be substituted with basil if unavailable. For vegan version, replace Parmesan with nutritional yeast and use vegan pasta. Nut-free option: substitute pine nuts with toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds.

Nutrition

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

Find it online: https://blingbite.com/fresh-garlic-scape-pesto-pasta-recipe-easy-homemade-with-toasted-pine-nuts/