Description
This vibrant Ramp Pasta recipe celebrates the distinctive flavor of ramps with a fresh, herbaceous sauce made from toasted pine nuts, parmesan, basil, and lemon. Perfect for spring, this dish combines al dente pasta with a creamy, aromatic ramp sauce for a quick and satisfying meal that serves four.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 1 pound chunky pasta (fusilli, penne, or rigatoni)
Sauce
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 1 bunch of ramps
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup packed fresh basil
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Optional for topping – grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving ½ cup of the pasta cooking water for the sauce.
- Toast Pine Nuts: While the pasta cooks, toast the pine nuts in a small frying pan over low heat, stirring often, until they turn golden brown and fragrant. Remove from heat.
- Cook Ramps: Separate the ramp stems from the leaves. Finely chop the stems and add them to the frying pan, cooking over medium heat for 3 minutes to soften. Then add the ramp leaves and cook just until wilted, about 30 seconds.
- Prepare Ramp Sauce: In a blender or food processor, combine the toasted pine nuts, cooked ramp stems and leaves, olive oil, fresh basil, parmesan cheese, sea salt, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Blend for about 30 seconds until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed to ensure even blending.
- Toss Pasta with Sauce: Transfer the ramp sauce to a large bowl, add the reserved pasta water and the cooked pasta, stirring well to combine and coat the pasta evenly with the sauce. Serve immediately, topped with additional grated parmesan if desired.
Notes
- Be careful not to overcook the ramps; they should be just wilted to preserve their bright flavor.
- Toasting pine nuts enhances their nutty flavor—watch them closely to prevent burning.
- You can substitute basil with parsley if you prefer a milder herb flavor.
- Reserve some pasta water to help loosen the sauce and help it stick to the pasta more effectively.
- Use freshly grated parmesan for best taste and texture.
- This recipe works well with other short, chunky pasta shapes that hold sauce well.
