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Garlic-Scape Pesto

(recipe, Kim Carlson)

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Introduction

This garlicky pesto is delicious with spinach pasta.

Ingredients

1. 10 garlic scapes
2. ½ cup hazelnuts
3. 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
4. 1 to 2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste
5. ½ tsp. salt
6. ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to taste

Steps

1. Remove the flowers from the scapes and chop the stems. You should have about 1 cup chopped scapes.
2. Combine the scapes, nuts, Parmesan, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, salt, and olive oil in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the pesto reaches the consistency you like; you may need to add up to 3 tablespoons additional olive oil or more lemon juice, to taste.
3. Store pesto in a glass jar in the refrigerator; it will keep for at least 10 days.

Note

Variations: If the garlicky flavor of this pesto proves too powerful for you (which may be the case, especially if you use scapes that are very mature), substitute 1 cup chopped parsley for half of the scapes.