Garlic Scape Pesto Pasta

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch garlic scapes (about 8–10)

• 1/3 cup nuts (pine nuts, walnuts, almonds—whatever you’ve got, this year we used sunflower seeds)

• Juice of 1 lemon + zest

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino

• 1/2 cup olive oil (plus more as needed)

• 1/4 lb Guanciale or bacon lardons

• 1 lb pasta

  
  

Instructions:

1. Make the pesto: In a food processor or blender, combine garlic scapes, nuts, lemon juice and zest, and cheese. Pulse until roughly chopped. Drizzle in olive oil while blending until smooth and spreadable. Add more oil if it’s too thick. Salt to taste.

2. Sautee the Guanciale pull out onto paper-toweled plate

3. Cook the pasta in well-salted water (like the ocean) until al dente. Reserve about a cup of the pasta water before draining.

4. Toss it together: Return drained pasta to the pot, add a big spoonful of pesto, and splash in some of the reserved pasta water to help coat everything evenly. Stir like you mean it.

   
   

Pro tips: 

• Extra pesto keeps in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for months. Smear it on toast, eggs, pizza, grilled veggies, fish, lamb...etc

• Freezing it in ice cube trays gives you well portioned pesto pops for use in any dish throughout the year.

• If you're storing it in the fridge place a piece of Saran wrap and press onto top inside the tupperware to make sure no air touches the surface, that way it will stay that fresh green color.