Macadamia Free Vegan Garlic Scape Pesto
Garlic scapes are the curly, bright green shoots that spring up from hardneck garlic bulbs, and blending them into pesto is one of the smartest things you can do with them. They bring a mellow, grassy garlic flavor that pairs beautifully with fresh basil, toasted pine nuts, and a bright hit of lemon juice and zest. Nutritional yeast steps in for the parmesan you'd find in a traditional pesto, adding a savory, umami-rich depth that makes this version taste completely satisfying without any dairy. The pine nuts get a quick toast in a dry skillet before everything hits the food processor, which coaxes out their buttery richness and gives the finished pesto a warm, nutty backbone. A slow stream of good olive oil brings it all together into a thick, glossy paste that you can thin with a splash of water to get exactly the consistency you want. Spread it on pasta, swirl it into soups, slather it on crusty bread, or use it as a dipping sauce — it's endlessly versatile and comes together in minutes.
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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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