Monday, June 8, 2009

Green Garlic Pesto

Green garlic makes a lovely pesto with a nice garlic flavor that is not at all overpowering. You can use the entire plant once you cut the roots off. This recipe makes enough to have some now and put some in the freezer for later. I used pecorino and pine nuts, but you could also substitute Parmesan and walnuts if you like. You could also make this with scapes, which are coming in now.

8-10 slender stalks green garlic, including leaves (roots removed)
1/2 - 1/3 cub extra virgin olive oil
1/2 - 3/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 lb pecorino, chopped
2 tsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a food processor; taste and adjust as needed for flavor and texture. This makes a fairly thick paste. You can thin it with a little water when you are ready to use--if serving on pasta, use a little of the pasta water.

Makes about 2 cups. Use 1 cup for 1 lb of pasta. To freeze, place 1/2 cup or 1 cup quantity in a quart-size freezer bag, squeeze all the air out, and smooth out the pesto so it's nice and flat. You can thaw it quickly in a bowl of warm water.

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