The only good thing about ramps not being in season anymore is that it means garlic scapes are. I dice these up just like I would ramps into my eggs and quiche although they are a little bit tougher than the ramp leaves so sometimes I give them a little sauté in the butter. Garlic scapes is the stalk of a hardneck garlic plant. They are removed to help encourage the bulb to grow large and round before harvesting. The stalks are garlicky and a tad spicy. I whipped up a large batch of pesto to use for things like dipping and stirring into pasta. (see below).
In addition to mixing into our pasta we dipped about half a loaf of bread into the remaining pesto. It is a very full garlic flavor so make sure you won’t have to be wearing a face mask anytime soon haha.
I did not have any pine nuts on hand or any nuts for that matter but the crunchier texture of the scapes held up nicely in the processor. A bit of fresh lemon and basil and it made for a simple and incredible sauce for my pasta.
Here is what you need:
About 5 or 6 Garlic Scapes, diced
1/2 cup of shredded parmesan
Juice of 1 Lemon
A sprinkle of salt and pepper
1/3 cup of Olive Oil (maybe more)
1/2 cup of fresh basil leaves
To make combine all the ingredients into a food processor and chop until smooth. If the pesto seems to “dry” add a bit more olive oil. If it feels too wet, add more parmesan. Adjust to your personal preference.
It can be frozen but this recipe made enough to coat the pasta for 3 servings and then a small jar to refrigerate for later.
Read more about what is in season here!
Pasta is from the Local Epicurean
For more about garlic scapes check out this great article from Bon Appetit!
