It looks like Spring is finally here! The world is waking up from it's 3 month long deep sleep (and I feel like I've been asleep for a few months, too).

This is one of my favorite times of the year, when I look around every day and find a new green sprout of some sort. First it was the daffodils. Then the buds on the trees. Then the garlic scapes.

Garlic scapes are the long, green sprouts that shoot out of garlic first thing in the Spring. I always look forward to them - I know as soon as I see garlic scapes at the farmers market it means more green things to come in the following months. But blink and you'll miss them. So if you do ever come across them, don't hesitate, just buy some. You can figure out what to do with them later.

My favorite thing is to slice them up, sauté them with a little salt and butter, and whirl them up into a sauce. This garlic scape sauce can be spooned onto eggs, dolloped on a bowl of soup, or stirred into a plate of pasta, like I've done here. I bet you can find more uses for it as well.

This super simple sauce just tastes like garlic - strong, pungent, delicious. I like to top my pasta with a little goat cheese and a few toasted pine nuts, but any cheese or nut/seed would work here.

Garlic Scape Pasta

1 lb. garlic scapes, chopped
1 T. butter (or olive oil if you're dairy free)
1 tsp. sea salt
1 lb. fusilli pasta
4. oz. goat cheese
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted in a skillet until browned and fragrant.
chopped herbs for garnish

Bring a pot of water to boil and cook your pasta according to the directions. Drain and set aside.

Heat the butter or oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic scapes and salt, and stir to combine. Continue cooking until the scapes have softened, 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and tip into the bowl of your food processor. Process until smooth.

Combine the pasta with the garlic scape sauce and toss to coat. Finish with dollops of goat cheese, a sprinkling of pine nuts, and a smattering of whatever fresh herbs you can find.

serves 4-6

Author:
Elizabeth Willams, LAc is an acupuncturist and herbalist in Greenville, South Carolina, specializing in pain management, women’s health, and psycho-emotional issues. She’s passionate about helping people feel their best and sharing her wealth of knowledge with the community. Elizabeth is the owner of Dragonfly Acupuncture & Massage on Wade Hampton Boulevard. Appointments can be made by calling 864-451-4313 or scheduled online.