Garlic Scape Pesto Pasta Salad with Fresh Peas

Pasta salad and summer go together like sunscreen and the beach. A cold complement to any barbecue, the appeal of pasta salad is in its endless versatility that's completely customizable to everyone's taste preferences. Garlic scapes are a popular produce item this time of year at farm stands and farmers' markets, and I always receive an ample amount in my weekly CSA share. Scapes are the flower stalks of hardneck garlic plants, which farmers remove in order to divert the plant's energy into bulb development, encouraging well-sized garlic cloves. Scapes have the same flavor profile as garlic cloves but taste a tad zestier. While they're delicious in many preparations, like hummus, marinades or taco filling, my favorite use for scapes is a vibrantly colored pesto. Different and delicious versions of pesto can be made from basil, kale, spinach or scapes and freezing it is a great way to preserve those crops. While I enjoy pesto in a hot pasta dish during the cold months or any day on pizza as a substitute for red sauce, another easy and tasty use for it is in a summertime pasta salad. Pesto recipes usually call for pine nuts, but other nuts can work just as well and are often more affordable. I've made pesto with almonds, walnuts and pecans. When seasoning, remember that Parmesan cheese can be quite salty and the added salt should be adjusted as needed. My pasta salad ingredients are always much more haphazard than pre-planned. It's a use-what-you've-got philosophy. In general, though, I prefer a vinaigrette-style dressing over a mayonnaise-based recipe. For this pesto pasta salad, I cooked my pasta (this time I used a cheese tortellini) and then quickly blanched my farm-fresh peas for a few minutes in the pasta water. After everything is cooled off, combine the pasta and peas in a bowl with the pesto and any other ingredients of choice. This week's version also featured quartered cherry tomatoes, chopped green onion and more shredded Parmesan cheese. Season to taste and add a few splashes of olive oil or lemon juice if the pesto seems too thick and is difficult to stir. Garlic scapes pack quite a punch, so consider going slowly with the quantity of pesto used in the salad (depending on your household's garlic tolerance) and freeze the rest if needed. While garlic lovers will adore this pesto, it's undoubtedly a savory condiment that's sure to keep the vampires at bay! Garlic Scape Pesto Adapted from vanillaandbean.com Ingredients: 10 medium garlic scapes 1/3 cup pine nuts, almonds, pecans or walnuts 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan or asiago cheese 1/2 lemon, juiced 1/8 tsp. fine sea salt Pepper to taste 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil Instructions: Trim the garlic scapes by cutting off any brown tips and three to four inches of the woody ends (some people discard the bulbs, but I use them). Add scapes to food processor, and add nuts of choice, cheese, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Pulse processor until scapes break down, scraping bowl as needed. With processor running, slowly add olive oil and process until all ingredients are incorporated. Store in a covered container in fridge for up to a week or freeze in portions using an ice cube tray or muffin tin to divide pesto.