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Fresh Garlic Scape Pesto Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes

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A quick and easy pasta dish featuring a vibrant pesto made from fresh garlic scapes, tossed with cherry tomatoes and pasta for a fresh, flavorful meal perfect for spring and early summer.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 8–10 fresh garlic scapes, trimmed and chopped
  • 1 pint (about 250g) cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ⅓ cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup (50g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • ⅓ cup (35g) toasted pine nuts or walnuts
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 12 oz (340g) spaghetti or linguine pasta
  • Optional: small clove of garlic or shallot

Instructions

  1. Rinse and trim the garlic scapes, then roughly chop into 1-2 inch pieces. Halve the cherry tomatoes. Toast the pine nuts or walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring often until fragrant and lightly browned. Be careful not to burn them.
  2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti or linguine and cook until al dente (about 9-11 minutes). Reserve ½ cup (120ml) of pasta water before draining.
  3. In a food processor, combine the chopped garlic scapes, toasted nuts, Parmesan, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Pulse a few times to chop, then slowly drizzle in olive oil while pulsing until it reaches a creamy, spreadable consistency. If the pesto is too thick, add a tablespoon or two of the reserved pasta water to loosen it up.
  4. In a large bowl, combine the drained pasta with the pesto and halved cherry tomatoes. Toss gently to coat everything evenly. Add more pasta water if needed to help the sauce cling to the noodles.
  5. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper, or lemon juice if desired. Drizzle a little extra olive oil on top and sprinkle with additional Parmesan if desired. Serve immediately.

Notes

Do not overprocess the garlic scapes to avoid bitterness. Toast nuts carefully on medium-low heat to prevent burning. Use reserved pasta water to adjust pesto consistency and help sauce cling to pasta. Pesto can be made a day ahead for better flavor. For dairy-free, substitute Parmesan with nutritional yeast.

Nutrition

Keywords: garlic scape pesto, cherry tomato pasta, fresh pesto pasta, spring pasta recipe, easy pesto recipe, vegetarian pasta

Find it online: https://grubella.com/fresh-garlic-scape-pesto-pasta-with-cherry-tomatoes-easy-recipe-to-try-today/