Sesame Free Vegan Garlic Scape Pesto
Garlic scapes are the curly green shoots that spring up from hardneck garlic bulbs, and they bring a mellow, grassy garlic flavor that makes this pesto genuinely special. Blended with fresh basil, toasted pine nuts, nutritional yeast, and a bright hit of lemon juice and zest, the result is a vibrant, deeply savory sauce that works on pasta, grain bowls, crostini, or straight off a spoon. Toasting the pine nuts first is a small step that pays off big — it draws out their natural richness and adds a subtle nuttiness that rounds out the whole batch. The nutritional yeast steps in for parmesan, giving that umami depth without any dairy, so the pesto is fully plant-based without sacrificing any of the complexity you'd expect. Every ingredient here is naturally free from sesame, so there's no need to scrutinize labels or worry about hidden tahini or sesame oil sneaking in the way it can with store-bought pestos and sauces. A food processor does all the heavy lifting, and a splash of water at the end lets you dial in exactly the consistency you want — thick enough to cling to noodles, loose enough to drizzle. It's the kind of sauce that makes you want to find excuses to put it on everything.
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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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