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Flavorful Garlic Scape Pesto Pasta Recipe with Sun-Dried Tomatoes Easy and Homemade

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A vibrant, flavor-packed pasta dish featuring mild garlicky pesto made from garlic scapes combined with tangy sun-dried tomatoes. Quick and easy to prepare, perfect for a fresh homemade meal.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup garlic scapes, chopped
  • 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed (oil-packed preferred, drained)
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • Salt, to taste
  • Black pepper, to taste
  • 12 ounces pasta (linguine, spaghetti, penne, or fusilli)
  • Optional: handful of fresh spinach or arugula
  • Optional vegan substitution: nutritional yeast or vegan cheese alternative

Instructions

  1. Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until golden and fragrant. Remove and let cool.
  2. In a food processor, combine chopped garlic scapes, sun-dried tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, and grated Parmesan. Pulse a few times to combine.
  3. With the processor running on low, slowly pour in olive oil. Stop and scrape sides as needed until pesto is smooth with some texture.
  4. Add lemon juice, salt, and black pepper to taste. Pulse again to mix.
  5. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining.
  6. Return drained pasta to pot or large bowl. Toss with garlic scape pesto. Add reserved pasta water a little at a time if sauce is too thick to create a silky coating.
  7. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper, or lemon juice if needed. Toss in fresh spinach or basil if desired.
  8. Serve immediately, garnished with extra Parmesan and pine nuts if desired.

Notes

Use fresh garlic scapes for best flavor; older scapes can be bitter. Toast pine nuts gently to avoid burning. Add olive oil gradually to control pesto consistency. Reserve pasta water to loosen sauce if needed. Store leftovers with plastic wrap pressed on pesto surface or a thin layer of olive oil to prevent darkening. Vegan option: substitute Parmesan with nutritional yeast or vegan cheese. Nut-free option: replace pine nuts with toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds.

Nutrition

Keywords: garlic scape pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, pasta recipe, easy pesto pasta, homemade pesto, summer pasta, vegetarian pasta, quick dinner

Find it online: https://tastytuck.com/flavorful-garlic-scape-pesto-pasta-recipe-with-sun-dried-tomatoes-easy-and-homemade/