Garlic Scape Pesto

Up until about a week ago, I never even knew what a garlic scape was. I quickly had to figure out what this strange, long, curly stem was in my CSA bag. After a search on one of my favorite go-to blogs, I learned that one of the best ways to enjoy garlic scapes was in this pesto sauce. The nice thing about pesto sauces is that it can be made and saved for later, either in the fridge or freezer.

Source: Garlic Scape Pesto, A Mighty Appetite


Ingredients
1 cup garlic scapes (about 8 or 9 scapes), top flowery part removed, cut into ¼-inch slices
⅓ cup walnuts
¾ cup olive oil
¼-½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions
Place scapes and walnuts in the bowl of a food processor and process until well combined and somewhat smooth. Slowly drizzle in oil and process until integrated. With a rubber spatula, scoop pesto out of bowl and into a mixing bowl. Add Parmigiano-Reggiano to taste; add salt and pepper. Makes about 6 ounces of pesto. Keeps for up to one week in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

For ½ pound short pasta such as penne, add about 2 tablespoons of pesto to cooked pasta and stir until pasta is well coated.