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Fresh Garlic Scape Pesto Pasta Recipe Easy Homemade with Cherry Tomatoes

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A vibrant and fresh pesto pasta featuring mild garlic scapes and juicy cherry tomatoes, perfect for spring and early summer. This easy recipe delivers bright, flavorful, and comforting pasta in about 25 minutes.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup chopped garlic scapes (about 6–8 scapes)
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup (30 g) toasted pine nuts
  • 1/2 cup (50 g) grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • Salt to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 12 ounces (340 g) spaghetti or linguine pasta
  • Optional: handful of fresh basil or parsley

Instructions

  1. Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently until golden and fragrant, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
  2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 9-11 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup (120 ml) pasta water, then drain pasta.
  3. In a food processor, combine chopped garlic scapes, toasted pine nuts, grated Parmesan, and lemon juice. Pulse a few times to chop.
  4. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the pesto is smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Transfer drained pasta to a large mixing bowl. Add pesto and toss well to coat, adding reserved pasta water a tablespoon at a time to loosen sauce if needed.
  6. Gently fold in halved cherry tomatoes. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
  7. Serve immediately, optionally garnished with extra Parmesan or fresh herbs.

Notes

Toast pine nuts carefully to avoid burning. Drizzle olive oil slowly when blending pesto to prevent splitting. Use reserved pasta water to adjust sauce consistency. Add cherry tomatoes last to keep them fresh and juicy. Pesto can be made a day ahead and stored with a thin layer of olive oil to prevent browning.

Nutrition

Keywords: garlic scape pesto, pesto pasta, cherry tomatoes, spring recipe, easy pasta, homemade pesto, vegetarian pasta

Find it online: https://oracooks.com/fresh-garlic-scape-pesto-pasta-recipe-easy-homemade-with-cherry-tomatoes/