Green garlic, or garlic scapes, are officially my new favorite spring produce obsession. They are the young garlic plant that is harvested before it reaches full maturity. Their flavor profile is like a cross between garlic, chives and scallions. I had never come across green garlic until I spotted it amongst the herbs in Whole Foods last week and I’ve used it in about 7 different recipes since. Not only do they have great flavor but they have amazing texture. They’re definitely on the spicy allium side, but mild enough to eat raw in small doses. If you’re a garlic lover like myself you’ll be able to handle the punch no problem.
For this recipe, I left out regular garlic because the green garlic brings plenty enough garlickyness. I also opted for Pecorino rather than Parmesan because I feel that it stands up better flavor wise, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand!
If you can’t find green garlic (sad) you can substitute with ramps, or a combination of chives, scallions and regular garlic. OR just make regular pesto and double the garlic in the recipe for the same springy allium packed flavor.
