Zesty Lemon Garlic Scape Pesto

Finding creative ways to use up those garlic scapes from your summer CSA box or farmers market haul can feel like a puzzle. Between their short seasonal window and unique shape, many home cooks aren’t quite sure what to do with these curly green stems that show up for just a few weeks each year.

That’s where this garlic scape pesto comes in: it’s fresh and flavorful, takes just minutes to make, and gives those scapes a chance to really shine. Plus, it’s as easy as tossing everything in your food processor and letting it do all the work.

What Kind of Garlic Scapes Should I Use?

Garlic scapes are the curly flower stalks that grow from hardneck garlic plants, and they’re typically available for just a few weeks in late spring or early summer. When shopping for scapes, look for ones that are bright green, firm, and smooth – avoid any that are yellowing or limp. The younger scapes tend to be more tender and less fibrous, making them perfect for pesto. If your scapes are on the thicker side, you might want to cut them into smaller pieces before processing, and if they’re particularly woody at the bottom, trim off the tough end just like you would with asparagus. Since scapes can vary quite a bit in size, using a kitchen scale to measure by weight rather than count will give you the most consistent results.

Options for Substitutions

This pesto recipe can be adjusted based on what you have in your pantry:

• Garlic scapes: Since garlic scapes are seasonal and can be hard to find, you can use a mix of regular garlic (about 4-5 cloves) and fresh basil leaves (about 2 cups) as a substitute. The flavor will be different but still tasty!
• Pine nuts: Pine nuts can be expensive! Feel free to swap them with walnuts, almonds, or even sunflower seeds. Just make sure to toast them first for the best flavor. If using sunflower seeds, they’ll make the pesto slightly darker in color.
• Parmesan/Asiago: Any hard aged cheese works well here. Try Pecorino Romano or aged Manchego. For a dairy-free version, use nutritional yeast (start with 3 tablespoons and adjust to taste).
• Lemon juice: Out of lemons? Try white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar – start with 1 teaspoon and add more to taste.
• Olive oil: While olive oil is traditional for pesto, you can use avocado oil for a more neutral taste. Just avoid oils with strong flavors like sesame or coconut oil.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Making

The biggest challenge when making garlic scape pesto is over-processing the ingredients, which can lead to a paste-like consistency instead of the desired slightly chunky texture – pulse the ingredients in short bursts and stop as soon as they’re broken down but still have some texture.

Temperature matters more than you might think – allowing your food processor to heat up can cause the olive oil to turn bitter, so work in short pulses and let the machine rest if needed.

Many cooks make the mistake of adding all the olive oil at once, but drizzling it in slowly while the processor is running helps create an emulsion that keeps your pesto from separating.

For the best flavor balance, taste and adjust the salt and lemon juice after mixing – garlic scapes can vary in intensity, so you might need more or less seasoning than the recipe suggests, and remember to store your pesto with a thin layer of olive oil on top to prevent oxidation.

What to Serve With Garlic Scape Pesto?

This flavorful pesto is super versatile and works great tossed with your favorite pasta – I particularly like it with linguine or orecchiette since the shapes really hold onto the sauce. You can spread it on crusty bread for a quick appetizer or use it as a sandwich spread with fresh mozzarella and tomatoes. For a lighter option, try stirring a spoonful into hot vegetable soup or using it as a topping for grilled chicken or fish. If you’re making pizza at home, try using this pesto instead of traditional tomato sauce for a tasty change of pace – just add your favorite toppings and you’re good to go!

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: This tasty garlic scape pesto will stay good in an airtight container in the fridge for about 1 week. Pro tip: pour a thin layer of olive oil on top of the pesto before closing the container – this helps prevent the top from turning brown and keeps it fresh longer!

Freeze: Pesto is perfect for freezing! Spoon it into ice cube trays for convenient portions, freeze until solid, then transfer the cubes to a freezer bag. They’ll keep for up to 6 months. I love having these ready to toss into pasta or soups whenever I need them.

Make Ahead: You can whip up this pesto a few days before you need it – the flavors actually get better as they meld together in the fridge. Just give it a good stir before using, as the oil might separate a bit while it sits.

Preparation Time	10-15 minutes
Cooking Time	0-5 minutes
Total Time	10-20 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Easy

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1100-1200
• Protein: 25-30 g
• Fat: 100-110 g
• Carbohydrates: 20-25 g

Ingredients

• juice from 1/2 lemon (about 1 1/2 tbsp of fresh juice)
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (like Pompeian for a fruity note)
• few turns fresh ground pepper
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated for best texture)
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 1/3 cup pine nuts (lightly toasted for deeper flavor)
• 5.4 oz garlic scapes (trimmed and chopped into 1-inch pieces)

Step 1: Trim and Prepare the Garlic Scapes

• 154 g garlic scapes (about 10, but use weight for best accuracy)

Begin by trimming the garlic scapes.

Cut just below the bulb and remove it, as well as any woody ends on the stems, much like you would with asparagus.

Discard the bulb and woody ends.

Set aside the prepared, curly parts of the scapes for blending.

Step 2: Combine Ingredients in the Food Processor

• prepared garlic scapes from Step 1
• 1/3 cup pine nuts (see notes for possible alternatives)
• 1/3 cup diced or shredded Parmesan or Asiago cheese
• juice from 1/2 lemon
• 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
• few turns freshly ground pepper

Place the trimmed garlic scapes from Step 1 into the bowl of a food processor, arranging them in a circle for even blending.

Add the pine nuts, Parmesan or Asiago cheese, juice from half a lemon, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper.

Pulse the mixture until the ingredients begin to break down.

Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl for even consistency.

Step 3: Incorporate Olive Oil and Blend the Pesto

• olive oil (1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil)
• pesto base from Step 2

With the food processor running, slowly stream in the extra virgin olive oil.

Continue to process until the pesto is fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth and cohesive, which should take about one minute.

I like to taste and adjust the seasoning at this stage, adding a pinch more salt or lemon if I think it needs extra brightness.

Step 4: Store the Pesto

Transfer the finished pesto to a covered container or lidded jar and refrigerate.

Enjoy within a week.

For longer storage, freeze the pesto in a jar or in an ice-cube tray, then transfer the frozen cubes to a zip-top bag for convenient portioning.