Wild Garlic and Garlic Scape Pesto Sauce is nut free and dairy free. It has a beautiful light garlic taste because of the wild garlic scapes and a faux nuttiness from sunflower seeds making this a perfect nut filled pesto replacement.
Jump to:
- What did we have to substitute in regular pesto to make wild garlic scape pesto safe for us?
- Can Pesto be the same without the herbs?
- What Equipment Will You Need to Make Pesto?
- Adaptations and Flavour Adventures
- How Can This Wild Garlic Scape Pesto Recipe Be Used?
- Storage and Reheating Advice
- Other Recipes You May Enjoy
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
This Wild Garlic Scape Pesto recipe has been a game changer for us, because it is nut free!
When we found out nuts were restricted for our family it was tough. There was a lot of grieving over foods we used to love but would no longer be eating. Yes, this was better for us and needed because of the allergies to keep our kids safe but it doesn’t mean we wouldn’t miss some things. One of those foods is pesto because it contains two allergens for us. Typically pesto is made with pine nuts, basil, parmesan cheese and olive oil in a food processor.
What did we have to substitute in regular pesto to make wild garlic scape pesto safe for us?
Replacing the cheese was easy.
There are many safe vegan parm options for us. We can use either Violife or Earth Island/Follow Your Heart parm replacements they are readily available and we can use coconut products. If you allergic or restricting coconut just leave the parm out it will turn out well, too
The pine nuts were more difficult to replace.
They give a nutty taste and build the texture of the sauce. We can have sunflower seeds so we thought, what about them? When they are roasted they get a nutty taste which worked perfectly in this recipe.
After a few minutes in a hot un-oiled pan on the stove you can get the desired taste. Watch them closely, as they go from a nice golden brown roasted to black and burnt very quickly. They need a watchful eye for this stage.
Can Pesto be the same without the herbs?
We chose to use garlic scapes for our pesto but you can go traditional and use basil or other herbs. The garlic scapes are the green shoots that grow out of the centre of a garlic clove when planted to grow a bulb. They will have a flower at the top of them if they grow tall enough and mature. Often the scapes are cut off by garlic farmers to allow the plant to focus on the bulb formation, not energy diversion on a flower. When young and nicely green the scapes have a mild garlic taste that is perfect in pesto. The taste isn’t bitter or strong like garlic, more of a flavouring than bold.
What Equipment Will You Need to Make Pesto?
You will need a food processor for this recipe. It could be done in a one serving high powered blender but it may not be as smooth as desired. It could be done in a mortar and pestle by hand but it will take forever to get the right consistency and be able to make it in amounts that could be used for topping a pizza or gluten free pasta.
Adaptations and Flavour Adventures
To make different favours of pesto can be really easy. The two quickest ways to change the tastes and make adaptations is to switch out the sunflower seeds and wild garlic.
Using roasted pumpkin seeds will give our a fabulous pesto that is also nut free. Pumpkin seed based pesto would work well with roasted peppers or sun dried tomatoes on a bit of toasted gluten free bread.
Other seeds, if they are safe for you, like sesame can be used as well, or tahini (a sesame seed paste). Tahini could be used if you don't have a food processor or are in a rush. Using spices like zataar or a bit of lemon juice and zest would really work well with sesame flavours.
Leafy herbs make a great pesto. Traditionally basil is used but any fresh leafy herb could be with the right nut replacement pairing. Even mint would work for a pizza topped with roasted lamb bits or in a lamb skewer wrap.
How Can This Wild Garlic Scape Pesto Recipe Be Used?
This wild garlic scape pesto sauce is an excellent topping on pizza, pasta, or sandwiches. You could mix it in sauces and salad dressings or in chickpea eggs.
For vegan and plant based, top 8 allergen free appetisers this would be beautiful spread on gluten free, safe for you crackers or gf bread rounds. Top with a pickled vegetables adorning it or a slice of vegan cheese. It also works well with a charcuterie plate.Our favourite place to use this pesto is on our peach and prosciutto pizza. Replace using traditional tomato based pizza sauce with wild garlic pesto.On uncooked dough spread it from corner to corner and add your favourite toppings. It works well with prosciutto, sundried tomatoes, vegan cheese, mushrooms and more.
One of our favorite ways to serve pesto besides on a pizza is as a pasta sauce.Make your favourite gluten free pasta noodles. After draining toss in the pesto as needed to coat all the noodles as a sauce.
Storage and Reheating Advice
Storage
-Fridge
When blended store wild garlic scape pesto sauce in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Garlic Scape Pesto can be eaten chilled or room temperature.
*** It is really important to not keep wild garlic pesto longer in the fridge. Garlic can be notorious for botulism, even the leaves, scapes, or wild garlic -- not just the bulbs.
-Freezer
Pesto can be frozen for up to 2 months in a tightly sealed container. When thawed this wild garlic scape pesto recipe may need a quick pop in the blender if it has separated.
Reheating
Pesto can be eaten cold, or baked on pizza, tossed on hot pasta as sauce. Wild Garlic scape Pesto doesn't need to be heated at all but if frozen should be fully thawed before using.
Other Recipes You May Enjoy
Let us know in the comments if you try this wild garlic pesto recipe. We'd love to hear from you.
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 9 garlic scapes 14-16 inches long, cut in 2 inch sections
- ⅓ c Roasted unsalted sesame seeds
- ¼ c -½c Olive oil
- ¼ c vegan parm cut in chunks
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Roast the sunflower seeds in a pan over the stove on low/med heat until they slightly brown. Do not leave unattended as they catch quickly. Let cool.
- Put the roasted sunflower seeds, cut up garlic scapes, ¼ C olive oil, and vegan Parmesan in a food processor, and turn on to high.
- Scrape down the sides as needed in the processor and add up to another ¼ C olive oil as needed to get the desired consistency. I like to add a bit, process, then add a bit more.
- When blended store in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
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