If you love garlic, you will love garlic scapes. They are the part of the garlic that grows above ground and they have a fresh garlic flavor that is somewhat milder than the bulb. They are in abundance at many farmer’s markets right now, so consider picking up a few to make this delicious garlic scape pesto. I combined them with some fresh baby spinach to tone down the garlicky bite of the pesto. It made a delicious topping for grilled salmon.
Note: You won’t use all the pesto in this recipe. About 1 tbsp per serving is all you need for great flavor. Try tossing some with zucchini noodles or as a topping for Caprese salad.
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)Loading...Ingredients
- 1 cup packed baby spinach leaves
- 1 cup chopped garlic scapes (about 8 to 10 scapes)
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup Parmesan
- 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon zest
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 2 tbsp water (optional, to thin out the pesto a bit)
- 1 1/2 lbs skin-on salmon filets (either one long filet or several pieces)
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- Salt and pepper
- 2 cedar grilling planks, about 12 by 6 inches.
Instructions
- For the pesto, combine spinach, garlic scapes, olive oil, Parmesan, pine nuts, lemon zest, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor or a high-powered blender. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary.
- For the salmon, soak grilling planks in water to cover for at least one hour prior to grilling. Preheat grill to medium high.
- Lay salmon on planks (may need to cut to fit), skin side down. Brush with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
- Lay cedar planks on grill and close lid. Grill 10 to 15 minutes, depending on thickness of filet(s), until salmon is opaque and flakes easel with a fork. Let sit a few minutes before serving.
- Top each portion with 1 tbsp pesto and serve.
Notes
Nutrition Info: Pesto Nutritional Analysis: Makes about 1 cup, serves 16 (1 tbsp per serving): Food energy: 80kcal, Saturated fatty acids: 1.17g, Total fat: 6.39g, Calories from fat: 57, Cholesterol: 1mg, Carbohydrate: 3.72g, Total dietary fiber: 0.63g, Protein: 1.54g, Sodium: 117mg Salmon Nutritional Analysis (no pesto): Food energy: 301kcal, Saturated fatty acids: 2.23g,Total fat: 12.04g, Calories from fat: 108, Cholesterol: 90mg, Carbohydrate: 0.00g, Total dietary fiber: 0.00g, Protein: 36.25g
