Lactose Free Vegan Garlic Scape Pesto
Garlic scapes are the curly, tender shoots that spring up from hardneck garlic bulbs, and they bring a milder, grassier version of garlic's punch that makes this pesto genuinely special. Blended with fresh basil, toasted pine nuts, bright lemon juice, and a hit of nutritional yeast, the result is a rich, deeply savory sauce that coats pasta, grilled vegetables, or crusty bread like a dream. Nutritional yeast does the heavy lifting here — it delivers that nutty, umami depth you'd normally get from parmesan, so nothing feels missing despite being completely free of dairy. Toasting the pine nuts before blending is a small step that pays off big, coaxing out their natural butteriness and adding a warmth that ties the whole sauce together. The food processor keeps things fast and easy, and a splash of water at the end lets you dial in exactly the consistency you want, whether that's a thick spread or a looser drizzle. If you've been stuck buying store-bought pesto and scanning labels for hidden dairy, this homemade version gives you total control with zero compromise on flavor.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- ⅓ cup pine nuts
- 6 oz garlic scapes (about 10–12 scapes), roughly chopped
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ tsp lemon zest
- ½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1–2 tbsp water, as needed
Instructions
- 1
Toast the pine nuts in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant, about 3–4 minutes. Watch closely, as they can brown quickly. Transfer immediately to a plate to cool.
- 2
Add the garlic scapes, basil, toasted pine nuts, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and black pepper to a food processor. Pulse 8–10 times until the mixture is coarsely chopped and uniform.
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