Farfelle with summer squash and garlic scape pesto

Have you tried garlic scapes yet? Garlic scapes are the stems (or "flowering stalks") of hardneck garlic. I only discovered these cute and tasty items last summer at the farmers' market. 

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We bought some and just sauteed them in a little olive oil. They were delicious -- garlicky and peppery and fresh. So this year when I found them, I scooped up a couple bunches and decided to incorporate them into a pasta dish along with some little summer squash we bought.

I wanted to turn the garlic scapes into a sauce rather than leave them in pieces in the dish. What I imagined was pasta that was completely coated in the garlic flavor (my husband and I really love garlic). I decided to make the scapes into a pesto. 

The pesto was packed full of flavor and it was such a great summery pasta dinner, especially with the sauteed summer squash. I used a yellow squash and one that was light green. So grab some garlic scapes from your garden or local farmers' market before it's too late. They are one of those fleeting produce treats that come only once a year. 

The below recipe will serve four people and you will probably have some leftover pesto. Use it for a dip or spread it on a sandwich. Isn't the color lovely?

Farfelle with summer squash and garlic scape pesto
about 2 cups roughly chopped garlic scapes (about 8-10 scapes), tough ends discarded
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon lightly toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
zest of one lemon, plus one tablespoon of juice
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
extra virgin olive oil
1 pound Farfelle pasta
2 small summer squash, cut into half moons
2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, sliced

Combine the garlic scapes, 1/4 cup pine nuts, cheese, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a food processor. Pulse until everything is finely chopped. Then turn the food processor on low and drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil until the mixture is smooth and turns into a sauce. Season with salt and pepper and then set aside.

Cook the pasta until al dente in salted water. In the meantime, heat another tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet. When hot, add the summer squash. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden, about 3-5 minutes. Turn to low heat.

When the pasta is finished, add it to the summer squash along with 1/3 cup of pasta water. Stir well. Add about 1/2-3/4 cup of pesto and stir well. Taste and decide if you want more pesto - adjust as needed. Turn off heat. Stir in basil.

Serve hot topped with the remaining tablespoon of pine nuts along with more cheese.