Garlic Scape Pesto

Raw pine nuts add a subtle sweetness and nutty flavor to the pesto.

Stirring in the olive oil instead of blending it in means it's less likely the pesto will become bitter.

Scapes have a softer, less assertive flavor than raw garlic cloves, with a fresh vegetal note, and they can be used in both raw and cooked applications. One of my favorite ways to highlight their mellow garlicky flavor is to make them into a pesto by blending raw scapes with pine nuts, fresh lemon juice and zest, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, basil, and extra-virgin olive oil. For this recipe, I keep the pine nuts raw, which adds a nutty roundness to the pesto. I also rely on the food processor, rather than a mortar and pestle, to finely mince the crunchy scapes. Once the rest of the ingredients are incorporated, you’re left with a zingy, bright green pesto that has a lot of versatility, which can be used anywhere a traditional Genovese pesto might be used: you can toss it with pasta, combine it with cooked white beans, mix it in chicken salad, and use it as a condiment on sandwiches and alongside grilled and roasted meats and vegetables.