Creamy Garlic Scape Pesto Pasta No-Nuts Recipe Easy Homemade Delight
A quick and easy creamy garlic scape pesto pasta recipe that is nut-free, fresh, and indulgent. Perfect for busy weeknights and those with nut allergies.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup chopped garlic scapes (about 10–12 scapes)
- 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
- ½ cup full-fat cottage cheese
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (or nutritional yeast for dairy-free)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 8 ounces (about 225 grams) pasta (linguine or penne preferred)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add 8 ounces of pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente (usually 8-10 minutes). Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining.
- While pasta cooks, roughly chop garlic scapes. In a food processor or blender, combine garlic scapes, basil leaves, cottage cheese, olive oil, Parmesan, and lemon juice.
- Pulse the mixture until smooth and creamy. Add reserved pasta water a tablespoon at a time to reach a drizzling, spreadable consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer drained pasta to a large mixing bowl. Pour pesto sauce over pasta and toss gently until evenly coated. Add extra pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce.
- Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve warm, garnished with fresh basil leaves or crushed red pepper if desired.
Notes
Do not rinse pasta after draining to help sauce stick better. Blend cottage cheese with olive oil first for silkier sauce. Adjust lemon juice and salt to taste. Reserve pasta water to loosen sauce as needed. Garlic scapes can be substituted with mild green garlic or scallions. For dairy-free, use silken tofu or plant-based yogurt and nutritional yeast instead of Parmesan.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup pasta with pes
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 3
- Sodium: 320
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Carbohydrates: 38
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 15
Keywords: garlic scape pesto, no nuts pesto, creamy pesto pasta, nut-free pasta recipe, easy pesto recipe, garlic scapes recipe, quick pasta dinner