Wild Ramps Pesto
Recipe by Silvia Baldini — Fresh and pungent with a hint of garlic and loads of walnuts, this is the must-do pesto for the brief window in spring when wild ramps are abundant. I make it as soon as I spot the ramps, then I place it in an ice cube tray and I store it in my freezer. I toss it on pasta, spread it on sandwiches, spoon it on soups, and I serve it with lamb chops.
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Wild Ramps Pesto
Recipe by Silvia Baldini — Fresh and pungent with a hint of garlic and loads of walnuts, this is the must-do pesto for the brief window in spring when wild ramps are abundant. I make it as soon as I spot the ramps, then I place it in an ice cube tray and I store it in my freezer. I toss it on pasta, spread it on sandwiches, spoon it on soups, and I serve it with lamb chops.
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| Servings | Prep Time |
| 1cup | 15minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 10 seconds for blanching |
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Ingredients
- 1bunch bunch wild ramps, about 4 oz
- coarse sea salt
- ½ cup walnuts, toasted
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup pecorino cheese, grated
- ¼cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
- ½ tabelspoon sherry vinegar
- fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Clean ramps and separate the greens from the stalks and bulbs.
- Prepare a large bowl of ice water. Blanch the greens in a large pot of boiling salted water until wilted, about 10 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer greens to the ice water to stop the cooking, then drain and squeeze out any extra liquid.
- In a large food processor, coarsely chop ramp bulbs, stalks and walnuts. Add the drained greens, olive oil, pecorino, parmesan and lemon zest , sherry vinegar and process to a coarse paste. Season with salt and pepper.
Recipe Notes
Serve tossed with spaghetti. Toss spaghetti and ½ cup cooking liquid with pesto, adding more cooking liquid as needed until pesto coats pasta. Serve topped with more Pecorino.