Since we are just getting into our CSA season, I will share with you another creation from our fabulous box from Red Wagon Farms. We got the idea for garlic scape pesto from their blog, but after tasting the garlic scapes, we thought they might be a bit too spicy on their own. Luckily, we also got some arugula in our box so I added a few handfuls to the pesto. We ended up with a fresh and bright pesto just perfect for spring.
Arugula and Garlic Scape Pesto
5-10 fresh garlic scapes, roughly chopped
3-4 handfuls of arugula
1 cup Parmesan or other hard cheese, grated
1/4 – 1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2-1 cup olive oil
*Zest* and juice of 1 lemon
1 Tomato chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Add garlic scapes, arugula, cheese, *zest* and nuts to a food processor and begin to process. Add the oil and lemon juice gradually until you have the consistency you prefer, from very thick to rather thin. Adjust the amount of garlic scapes to your taste. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook pasta al dente and drain, reserving about a cup of pasta water. Toss pasta with pesto and chopped tomato, thinning with pasta water to evenly distribute. Top with shredded parmesan and fresh cracked black pepper.
