Busy. I am sure you are just so darn tired of seeing that word when you come here. But dang if I ain't busy. So busy that I had to make time just to make this green garlic pesto default pasta. The very idea of default pasta is it's supposed to be easy no matter how busy you are because it takes no planning. You merely follow your instincts using whatever you have in your pantry. Oh, and garlic. Default pasta always has garlic. And yes– green garlic counts. For this and all the other Default Pasta Rules follow this link.
So how did I come to have green garlic laying about? Well, the Hollywood Farmers Market is in transition. It's a really good time in my opinion for the market. No longer the first blush of spring, but the heat (and abundance) of summer is still a few months away. Which means there's a lot to look at and even more to consider.
You can still find favas and sweet peas. But the first of the stone fruit are starting to make an appearance too. See what I mean? Some of this and some of that. Somewhere between spring and summer. And though the market is indeed evolving with the seasons, two of my springtime favorites can still be found. Green garlic and spring onions.
At first glance these two vegetables appear sorta similar. They look like a crude cousin of a scallion. A bit bigger, a bit leafier and slightly bulbous. But they're really just younger versions of onions and garlic. These vegetables are harvested early and sold fresh without the curing process that develops the dry papery skins. Green garlic and spring onions also are sold with the greens attached, which are edible. In fact they are delicious and I usually use almost all of the greens when I work with these vegetables.
Choosing both green garlic and spring onions is easy. Look for crisp tops and white, pink or purple bulbs. Once you get them home you can slice them and use them as you would a scallion. They both have milder flavors than their more mature versions and are best when used in dishes that highlight their delicacy.
Some ideas for using them include: Grilled along with meat and served alongside. Chopped and sauteed with fresh morel mushrooms which can be spread on flatbread or served with toast slices. You could also simmer them with potatoes and chicken broth, then drain away the liquid to serve as the base for a flavorful version of mashed potatoes. I also like to add them to ragoûts. Layering other vegetables in the pan in order of their cooking times.
But today I am simply using them together in a simple pasta dish. It's really a classic pesto where I replaced the basil with green garlic and spring onions.
Green Garlic & Spring Onion Pesto serves 4 CLICK here for a printable recipe
- 1/4 c pine nuts
- 1 bn arugula (cleaned & roughly chopped)
- 5 small bulbs green garlic, with about 3-inches of greens (cleaned & roughly chopped)
- 5 small spring onions, with about 3-inches of greens (cleaned & roughly chopped)
- 6 large fresh basil leaves (chopped)
- 1/4 c parmesan cheese to taste (freshly grated, plus more for garnish)
- 1/2 c extra-olive oil (or more or less as needed)
- 1 pn each salt & pepper to taste
- 1 lb angel hair pasta
Lightly toast the nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until the nuts begin to brown slightly and are fragrant, about 2 minutes
Using a blender or food processor pulse the pine nuts, arugula, green garlic, spring onions, basil, cheese and half the olive oil, until a thick paste is achieved. Add a little water (1 or 2 teaspoons) if the texture is too dry.
With the machine running drizzle in as much as the remaining oil as necessary to get a good consistency. A little thick is fine, as you will adjust later with pasta water. Season with a pinch each salt and pepper as you like.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta to package instructions until al dente. Drain (reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Toss the pasta with the pesto sauce, adding a bit of water to assist in mixing. Turn the pasta out onto a serving platter, garnish with a bit more cheese. Serve warm.
Greg Henry writes the food blog Sippity Sup- Serious Fun Food, and contributes the Friday column on entertaining for The Back Burner at Key Ingredient. He’s active in the food blogging community, and a popular speaker at IFBC, Food Buzz Festival and Camp Blogaway. He’s led cooking demonstrations in Panama & Costa Rica, and has traveled as far and wide as Norway to promote culinary travel. He’s been featured in Food & Wine Magazine, Los Angeles Times, More Magazine, The Today Show Online and Saveur’s Best of the Web. Greg also co-hosts The Table Set podcast which can be downloaded on iTunes or at Homefries Podcast Network.
- Follow Greg on Twitter @SippitySup
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- Look for Greg's book Savory Pies coming Nov 2012, from Ulysses Press







Comments
I have that same knife!
Amazing recipe. I am a fan of the garlic family. You name it, I'll eat it, garlic, shallot, green onion, leek,... so good!
I think you have the same knife as me as well. It is a Shun Santoku. I love mine, minus the fact they told me I would never have to sharpen it, and sure enough it dulled.
Keep up the great work!
Default
Been doing a lot of 'defaulting' myself, and yes it is always pasta. So happy to add your recipe to my collection of pasta defaults!
Delicious!
I love pesto SO much on pasta, but I have never heard of green garlic. I'm going to look this up!
I love green garlic, the
I love green garlic, the problem is that I rarely find it in the grocery stores I shop in Toronto.
This looks great, I've
This looks great, I've recently discovered green garlic so this is another way to use it!
Ugh....
still a few weeks away from our Farmer's Market even opening for the season, and this beautiful dish is making me swoon. No Fair, Greg!
I'd stand in line...
outside your door for a bowl of this pasta :)
yum!
that sounds and looks so incredibly delicious! pesto is bomb.com! thanks for sharing!
It's easy being green
That is some potent pasta but I'd devour it gladly. We had spring onions two weeks ago and dang were they ever hot! I've never had spring onions that weren't mild but these were red onions.
I have garlic issues ...
... actually, I have garlic allergy, but maybe I would have fewer problems with the green garlic. Must try it soon! Love the idea of "default" pasta.
arugula
I really need to try arugula in my pesto. I'm sure those stone fruits are going to make their way into a few tarts.
Garlic pestro
Good I like this green garlic pestro which was looking good and it is healthy too.. And the steps which you have mentioned is also very simple and good too
Oooh, another thing to look
Oooh, another thing to look out for at the farmer's market...green garlic. I've never bought it before. The pesto pasta dish is always a favorite at our house. We are putting it on grilled fish now and love that too.
Gotta Have One
A default dish is SO important to have! This looks like the perfect spring one. I love the idea of using arugula instead of basil.
Pinterest
Hi Greg - just saw this dish on Pinterest and thought it looked mighty good. Didn't realize it was yours. Nice!
LL
A Favourite...
I can't wait to get my hands on some green garlic at the farmers market. It is my favourite Spring treat.
This is lovely, as I love
This is lovely, as I love anything garlic related. I'm wondering if this pesto will keep in the freezer, should I make a big batch of it?
I bet it would...
...it's worth a try. GREG
Very Nice!
I love a good pasta dish! And anything with pesto is a huge plus! Very nice dish here!
Sounds delicious and so easy
Sounds delicious and so easy too!
ALways happy to see a default
ALways happy to see a default pasta. The concept was one of the first take aways from Sip Sup I ever got. Now we do it all the time. Hang in there.
Green garlic?
I have never had green garlic, believe it or not. After reading this, I am in search of it!
Well, you are busy! Not
Well, you are busy! Not tired of seeing it at all... glad to see that you are surviving. Stay strong, my friend. You'll get through it!
Now, as for this pasta... I'm ready to start chowing down! Pass me a fork!
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