Walnut Free Vegan Garlic Scape Pesto
Garlic scapes are the curly, tender shoots that spring up from hardneck garlic bulbs, and they bring a mellow, grassy garlic flavor that makes this pesto genuinely special. Toasted pine nuts stand in as the nut of choice here, delivering that rich, buttery depth you want in a great pesto without any walnut in sight — making it a safe, confident pick for anyone avoiding them. Nutritional yeast adds a savory, almost cheesy quality that keeps this fully plant-based version tasting indulgent and satisfying. A hit of fresh lemon juice and zest lifts the whole thing, cutting through the richness of the olive oil and keeping every bite bright. The food processor does most of the heavy lifting — a few pulses, a slow drizzle of olive oil, and you're basically done. Toss it with pasta, spread it on crusty bread, swirl it into soup, or use it as a dipping sauce; this pesto is endlessly versatile. It's the kind of recipe that makes you want to grab garlic scapes every single time you spot them at the farmers market.
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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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