Garlic Scape Pesto Recipe

When I first saw a garlic scape about five years ago at a farmers market, I wasn’t sure what to make of it. The taste of a garlic scape is milder than the bulb, but oh so much easier to use. There’s no peeling and curing and cutting involved with these curly strands, and they make a good base for a pesto, too.

There are so many variations to make a good pesto, so have some fun and try out what works for you and your taste buds! For me, I used farmer cheese, garlic scapes, and a little bit of basil to tame down the garlic. Farmer cheese is low in fat, naturally gluten-free, and is a great cheese if you are a little lactose sensitive as it has only 0.5% per serving.

I also got to try out my new julienne peeler for the first time to make some zucchini and summer squash noodles (zoodles and squoodles). I know that as a foodie blogger, I probably should have one of those fancy spiralizers, but I will tell all you budget conscious friends a secret–julienne peelers work too! The trick is to stick a fork into one end of the squash and hold it with the fork handle and peel away from the fork. It saves your fingers from being julienned along with the squash.

The best thing about this recipe is that it is quick, easy, and does not require one to turn on the oven in the heat of summer.

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So without further adieu, here’s the recipe:

Garlic Scape Pesto Recipe (with Zoodles and Squoodles and Chicken)

serves 4

Ingredients

5-8 garlic scapes (adjust to taste)

7.5 ounces farmer’s cheese

10 medium-sized basil leaves

1 large or 3 small zucchini

1 large or 3 small summer squash

4 organic chicken breasts (optional)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. Cut up garlic scapes into 3/4 inch sized pieces

2. Add the garlic scape pieces into the food processor and blend until fairly small

3. Add basil and farmer cheese to food processor

4. Continue to pulse until a creamy pesto-like texture is achieved.

5. Set pesto aside

6. Use julienne peeler (or schmancy spiralizer) to create long spaghetti like strands of zucchini & summer squash.

7. Add zoodles & squoodles to a lightly oiled skillet pan and cook over low heat for 2-3 minutes

8. Add pesto and mix well

9. Continue to cook on low medium heat until noodles are softer but still al dente

10. Remove from heat & serve.

I cooked mine with organic chicken breasts that I cooked with a little salt and pepper and pan-seared in a skillet pan with some olive oil.

Enjoy!