Pecan Free Vegan Garlic Scape Pesto
Garlic scapes are the curly, bright green shoots that appear briefly each summer, and blending them into pesto is one of the best things you can do with them. They bring a mellow, grassy garlic flavor that pairs beautifully with fresh basil, toasted pine nuts, and a hit of lemon zest. Nutritional yeast steps in where parmesan would normally go, adding that savory, umami depth without any dairy — and it works remarkably well. The whole thing comes together in a food processor in just a few pulses, finishing with a slow stream of good olive oil until you get a thick, glossy, spoonable paste. Because the nut base here is pine nuts rather than anything in the tree nut family that causes concern, this pesto is naturally free of pecans without any substitutions or workarounds needed. Spread it on toast, toss it with pasta, swirl it into grain bowls, or use it as a dipping sauce — it's endlessly versatile and genuinely hard to stop eating.
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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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