Cheesy garlic scape pesto quesadillas are served with a sweet and spicy mango salad.
Garlic Scape Pesto Quesadillas with Spicy Mango Salad

Some of us impulse buy shoes.

Some of us impulse buy garlic scapes.

(And mangoes.)

(And dried beans.)

DON’T JUDGE ME.

Garlic Scape Pesto Quesadillas with Spicy Mango Salad

But seriously, you don’t even want to see the state of my refrigerator on grocery delivery day.

It’s…..not pretty.

Garlic Scape Pesto Quesadillas with Spicy Mango Salad

So what do you do with a fridge full of mismatched items, including the above PLUS two blocks of cheese and three packages of flour tortillas.

Make quesadillas, obviously!!!

That’s my solution to all of my clean-out-the-fridge problems, namely because they’re one of Remy’s three food groups and I can hide pretty much anything under copious handfuls of cheese. It’s a gift.

Garlic Scape Pesto Quesadillas with Spicy Mango Salad

These quesadillas are stuffed with a super zingy garlic scape pesto and cheese. So much cheese!!

Bonus that the pesto recipe makes way more than you need so you can get a second (or third) meal out of it. I recommend tossing it with pasta, but adding it into scrambled eggs or schmearing it on a pizza crust are also excellent options.

It’s served alongside a super simple mango salad that’s at once sweet, savory, and spicy (so basically all of my favorite flavors in one place). The salad actually gets better the longer it sits so make it ahead of time and don’t feel bad about it.

Garlic Scape Pesto Quesadillas with Spicy Mango Salad

Garlic Scape Pesto Quesadillas with Spicy Mango Salad
 
Cheesy garlic scape pesto quesadillas are served with a sweet and spicy mango salad.
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
For the garlic scape pesto
  • ½ cup (50 g) garlic scapes
  • 2 lemons
  • 1 large garlic clove
  • 5 oz arugula
  • ⅓ cup pecorino cheese
  • 3 tbsp almonds
  • pinch of red pepper flakes
  • salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
For the quesadillas
  • 8 8-inch flour tortillas
  • 8 oz Monterey jack cheese, grated
  • 8 oz cheddar cheese, grated
  • 8 tbsp garlic scape pesto
For the mango salad
  • 2 large mangoes, peeled and cubed
  • 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
  • pinch of red pepper flakes, to taste
  • 1 tsp salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tbsp lime juice
  • 1-2 tbsp sugar
Instructions
For the garlic scape pesto
  1. To make the pesto, combine the garlic scapes and juice of one lemon in the bowl of a food processor. Add in the garlic, arugula, pecorino, almonds, red pepper flakes, ¼ tsp salt, and black pepper to taste. Pulse until everything is finely chopped, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  2. With the food processor running, slowly pour in the olive oil until the mixture forms a sauce and everything is well blended. Season to taste with salt, black pepper, and lemon juice.
For the quesadillas
  1. Heat a large nonstick pan over medium heat. While the pan is heating, toss the two cheeses together in a large bowl. Spread half of the tortillas with 2 tbsp each of the garlic scape pesto. Top with the cheese mix and then with a second tortilla.
  2. Place the quesadillas on the heat and cook on each side for 2-3 minutes, or until the tortilla is crisp and the cheese is melted. Serve immediately.
For the mango salad
  1. In a large bowl, toss together the mangoes, red onion, red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper, and lime juice. Add a tbsp of sugar and toss again. Taste and add more sugar as needed depending on how sweet your mangoes are.
Notes
Garlic scape pesto quesadillas adapted slightly from Food52: A New Way To Dinner
Mango salad from Fresh India

 

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4 Responses to Garlic Scape Pesto Quesadillas with Spicy Mango Salad

  1. Kate says:

    Quesadillas are always welcome with my boys

  2. I’m laughing because quesadillas are a real go to at my house and have been for years. It is true, kids will eat about anything in a quesadilla. I love that you’re using garlic scapes too and made the pesto. I scored four scapes the other day and it wasn’t enough for pesto, but I did finally get to try them so I was happy.

    Mango salad looks juicy and delicious!

  3. Noelle says:

    I saw this in my in box and just had to open. I bought a small net of mangoes which I thought were a bargain, and they were not ripening quite nicely enough for desert, so I have been making a mango, red pepper, and basil salad topped with chinese chilli dipping sauce. I’m off now to find a recipe for flour tortillas. Quesadillas are completely new to me…who said adventurers were off the agenda these days? Your food adventure is bringing out the explorer in me. Thank you

  4. Pam says:

    Such a great idea!!! I have a feeling my family would dig this whole meal.

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