Every June, the hardneck garlic does something generous before the bulbs are ready: it sends up scapes. Those curling green shoots have to come off anyway, leaving them on redirects energy away from the bulb, so the question is always what to do with them. My answer, more often than not, is pesto.
Garlic scape pesto takes about 10 minutes, uses one bowl of a food processor, and produces something that punches well above its weight. It goes on pasta, toast, eggs, pizza, soup — honestly, once a jar of it is in the fridge, it finds its way into almost everything. And unlike basil pesto, which starts to brown the moment it hits air, scape pesto holds its color and stays bright for days.
This is the version I make every scape season: scapes, pine nuts, parmesan, a squeeze of lemon, olive oil, and salt. Nothing else. Simple enough to whip up mid-morning after a harvest, versatile enough to carry through the whole week.
Looking for more recipes? Check out how to make pickled garlic scapes.
This article is part of my homestead cooking series where I share how to make from-scratch food instead of buying it at the grocery story. From homemade bread and jelly to homemade condiments. I'm Gretchen and I've been homesteading for over 15 years. Here at the Backyard Farming Connection, I connect the lines between growing your own food, raising your own animals, and putting it all together in the kitchen.
Contents
What Is Garlic Scape Pesto?
Classic pesto, the kind from Liguria, is made with basil, pine nuts, parmesan, garlic, and olive oil. Garlic scape pesto swaps the basil and the garlic cloves for garlic scapes, and the result is something distinctly its own: grassier, more savory, with a bold garlic presence that mellows as it sits.
It’s not quite as delicate as basil pesto. It has more bite, more depth, and a color closer to a deep forest green than the bright emerald of a fresh basil batch. That’s not a flaw — it’s the point. Scape pesto is a condiment with character.
Why No Basil?
A lot of garlic scape pesto recipes add basil to soften the garlic intensity and boost the green color. I don’t bother. When you’re growing your own hardneck garlic and harvesting scapes straight from the garden, the flavor is fresh and bright enough that it doesn’t need diluting. The lemon does the lifting that basil would otherwise do, adding brightness without covering up what makes scape pesto worth making in the first place.
What I do instead is make this recipe and then when I make basil pesto, I add a few spoonfuls of this to the recipe.
If your scapes are on the mature side (thicker, starting to straighten), they’ll be more pungent. In that case, using fewer scapes, say 8 instead of 10, brings the intensity down without needing to add another ingredient.
Ingredients and Why Each One Matters
Garlic scapes — the star. Harvest them while the curl is still tight for the most tender, mild result. Trim off the woody bottom end and the bulb at the top; everything in between goes in.
Pine nuts — raw, not toasted. Raw pine nuts have a natural sweetness and a creamy texture when processed that binds the pesto beautifully. Toasting adds a roasted note that I find competes with the fresh garlic flavor. If pine nuts aren’t in your budget, walnuts work — the flavor is earthier, but still very good.
Parmesan — freshly grated if you can. The umami and salt from the parmesan is what rounds out the sharpness of the scapes. Pre-grated works in a pinch, but fresh grated melts into the pesto rather than staying grainy.
Lemon — just a squeeze. It adds a lift that keeps the pesto tasting fresh rather than heavy. Don’t skip it.
Olive oil — extra virgin. Stream it in slowly while the processor runs; this is what emulsifies everything into a cohesive sauce rather than a chunky paste.
Salt — to taste at the end. The parmesan brings a lot of salt already, so season after you taste.
Ingredients
Method
- Prep the scapes. Trim the bulb from the top of each scape and cut off any woody or dry section at the base — the same way you’d trim asparagus. Cut the remaining curly stem into rough 2–3 inch pieces so the food processor can handle them easily.
- Pulse the dry ingredients. Add the scapes, pine nuts, parmesan, and lemon juice to the food processor. Pulse in short bursts until the mixture starts to break down into a rough, crumbly paste — about 10–12 pulses. Scrape down the sides.
- Stream in the oil. With the processor running, pour in the olive oil in a slow, steady stream. Continue processing until the pesto comes together to your preferred texture — 20 to 30 seconds for a slightly chunky result, longer for something smoother.
- Season and taste. Scrape into a bowl and taste. Add salt as needed — go slowly, since the parmesan is already salty. Add another small squeeze of lemon if you want more brightness.
- Use immediately or store. Transfer to a jar, smooth the top, and drizzle a thin layer of olive oil over the surface to keep it from oxidizing. Refrigerate for up to one week, or freeze for several months.
Texture Notes
The texture you want depends on how you’re using it:
- Spread on toast or crostini: keep it thicker, stop processing a little earlier
- Tossed with pasta: thin it slightly with a spoonful of pasta cooking water after mixing; the starch helps it cling to the noodles
- As a pizza base or sandwich spread: medium — smooth enough to spread but with some body
- Stirred into soup or eggs: thinner, more fluid; add an extra drizzle of olive oil and blend longer
How to Use Garlic Scape Pesto on the Homestead
This is where scape pesto really earns its place. Once you have a jar in the fridge, it becomes a workhorse condiment for the week.
Pasta. The most obvious use, and still one of the best. Toss with a short pasta — penne, rigatoni, gemelli — and a splash of pasta water. Finish with extra parmesan and cracked pepper.
Toast and eggs. Spread it on a thick slice of sourdough, top with a fried egg and a pinch of flaky salt. This is a very good breakfast if you grow your own garlic.
Pizza base. Swap out red sauce for scape pesto, top with sliced fresh tomatoes and mozzarella, and bake. The garlic flavor bakes into the crust in a way that’s hard to describe and easy to repeat.
Stirred into soups. A spoonful dropped into a bowl of vegetable soup, white bean soup, or even chicken broth adds depth and a savory richness that feels like you did a lot more work than you did.
As a dip. Served alongside cheese and crackers, or with raw vegetables, scape pesto works well as a spread. The flavor is assertive enough to stand on its own.
Storing and Freezing
Fridge: Up to one week, with a film of olive oil over the surface to prevent browning. The flavor actually deepens by day two or three.
Freezer: Scape pesto freezes exceptionally well. Spoon it into an ice cube tray, freeze until solid, then transfer the cubes to a zip-top bag. Pull out a cube or two whenever you need them — they thaw quickly in a warm pan or in a bowl of pasta.
One note on freezing with parmesan: the cheese can sometimes become slightly grainy after freezing. If texture matters for your use (a spread, for instance), you can freeze the pesto without the cheese and stir it in fresh after thawing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I substitute another nut for pine nuts?
Yes. Walnuts are the most common swap and give the pesto a slightly earthier, more bitter edge. Almonds produce a drier texture. Pumpkin seeds work well and make the recipe nut-free.
Do I need to toast the pine nuts?
Not for this recipe. Raw pine nuts are sweeter and creamier when processed, which suits the fresh garlic flavor. Toasting is fine if you prefer that nutty, roasted note — just cool them completely before processing.
How do I prep the scapes?
Trim the small bulb at the top (it’s tough and fibrous) and the very bottom of the stem if it seems woody. Everything between those two points is fair game. Cut into rough pieces before adding to the processor so the blade can catch them.
When are garlic scapes in season?
Typically late May through late June in the northern US, depending on your climate and variety. The window is short — usually two to three weeks. Scapes are best when the curl is still tight; once they straighten out and the bulb starts to swell, they get more fibrous.
My pesto is very pungent — did I do something wrong?
No. Mature or large scapes have more intensity than young ones. You can balance this by using fewer scapes, adding a bit more parmesan, or adding a touch more lemon. The pungency also mellows noticeably after a day in the fridge.
Can I make this without parmesan?
Yes: nutritional yeast (about 2 tablespoons) gives a similar savory, umami quality and makes the pesto fully vegan. The texture will be slightly looser.
We grow hardneck garlic every season and the scape harvest always arrives in a rush: more than we can eat fresh, just when everything else in the garden needs attention. This pesto is how I make sure none of them go to waste. Looking for more homesteading ideas? Get my newsletter.
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