Pasta with Charred Garlic Scape Pesto Cream
The inspiration for this ridiculously satisfying, one-pot pasta dish comes from two sources:
My love of garlic scapes.
The pesto cream sauce at an Italian restaurant in Northern Florida that I worked at during a summer break from college for two weeks — that never paid me after I got my wisdom teeth extracted (I took a week off from work, ate lots of pudding, then drove by to see that they had packed the place up and left without telling any of their employees 🙃)
That second bullet point was a mouthful, and I still want the $300 that I am rightfully owed, but I do dream about their pesto cream sauce all the time. Hence, this recipe.
Let me be totally clear that this isn’t a vibrant, fresh summer pasta that’s packed with crisp, fresh, seasonal vegetables and will make you feel like you just ate a bowl of massaged kale. This pasta is rich, luxurious, and should only be eaten for dinner when your post-meal plan is to veg out and watch TV. But it is just so damn good.
Many thanks to garlic scapes for being so kick ass, and even deeper thanks to B***a G***o Restaurant in P*** *****, FL for employing me for two weeks, stealing my money, and inspiring me to make this dish many years later. Y’all are the best!
Pasta with Charred Garlic Scape Pesto Cream
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. uncooked spaghetti (or your boxed pasta of choice)
- 1 c. heavy cream
- 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1/2 c. Charred Garlic Scape Pesto (more for garnish)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese, for garnish
Instructions:
- Bring a large pot of aggressively salted water to a boil — don't worry, most of the salt is going down the drain! Cook your pasta about one minute shy of al dente, according to the package instructions, and stir frequently to prevent clumping.
- When pasta is cooked, reserve two cups of pasta water in a liquid measuring cup, and drain the pasta through a colander. Return the empty pot to the stove over medium heat.
- Add the cream, pesto and butter to your pasta pot and whisk together. Bring to a gentle simmer, turn heat down to low, and add in your drained pasta as well as a generous splash of pasta water. Toss vigorously with tongs to incorporate. The sauce should start loose (add more pasta water if it's too thick!) and thicken as you stir and finish "cooking" the pasta.
- Toss pasta for a minute or two, adding more pasta water as necessary until the sauce is glossy and creamy. Add a generous pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper, stir, and taste a noodle. Add more salt as needed.
- Serve hot, and garnish with parmigiano-reggiano, a small dollop of extra pesto, and freshly cracked black pepper.