Looking for a way to add some zing to your meals? Look no further than this wild ramp pesto recipe. This bright green condiment is the perfect accompaniment to everything from pasta to grilled meats, and it’s packed with flavor that’ll have you coming back for more. Plus, it’s made with ramps – those elusive wild onions that only grow in certain parts of the country – so you can feel extra fancy while scarfing down your dinner. So make your own and get ready to spice up your life.
Ramp pesto is a bold, flavorful sauce that is great to use as sauce for pasta, to spread over a toast, or just to accompany some grilled fish or chicken. The ramps give the pesto a unique flavor and aroma that is slightly pungent and garlicky.
I have to confess that I love using the wildest and weirdest herbs to create different pesto with different layers of flavors than the more traditional basil pesto. Ramps definitely are one of those gift of the season, and this wild ramp pesto recipe is probably the most surprising and enticing pesto flavor you can get!
What are ramps?
Ramps, also called wild leeks, belong to the family of Allium tricoccum, the same family of garlic, onion and leeks. They are native to the woodlands of North America, in the Appalacchian region hence their name. They look like scallions but have broad leaves and a purplish stem. Ramps are among the first plants to appear in the spring, typically showing up in the Appalachian region and their season is very short starting in April and ending at the end of May.
Sometimes ramps are inadvertently called wild garlic. but ramps and wild garlic are not the same thing. Ramps have wider leaves, bigger bulbs and purple stems, while wild garlic has thinner bulbs, white stems and thinner leave.
Where can you buy ramps?
If you are a foodie, a chef or a cooking enthusiast definitely you might be more familiar with ramps and might be intrigued by this cute herbs that come with an expensive price tag. In New York a bunch of this delicacy costs 3.99 USD at Eataly , or if you go at the Union Square farmer market you can buy a bigger bunch for 5 USD. My advice is to walk around and look at all different producers, some sell a bunch for nearly 7.00 USD.
And after you nearly break the bank to make this delightful wild ramp pesto, make sure you properly preserve your ramps. Investment always need to be taken well care of! Clean your ramps with a wet papeer towel, pat them dry. Wrap them in a slightly dampen paper towel and place in a refrigerator bag in the lower compartment of your fridge. In this way the ramps will stay good for at least 5 days: ready to prepare more recipes or make more pesto!
What do Ramps taste like?
As their food relations might suggest, ramps taste like a cross between onions and garlic.
If you’re averse to these strong flavors, cooking the ramps will help mellow out the plant slightly, and the green leafy tops are milder than the purple or white stems and bulbs.
Wild Ramp Pesto Recipe Ingredients
To make this less traditional recipe using wild Ramps you will need:
A bunch of wild ramps
Parmigiano Reggiano: half a cup of freshly grated parmesan
Pistacchios: I like to use these nuts as they give a creamy consistency to the pesto, but you can use pine nuts or walnuts.
Extra Virgin Olive oil: chooce a good quality.
Optional is the use of lemon to bring in more zest.
How to make Ramp Pesto
First of all remove the dirt and the bottom of the bulbs. Wash well the ramps, rinsing well the leaves as well. Cut the leaves and chop the stems and the bulbs.
Bring a pot of water to roaring boil and blanch the ramps leaves for 30-45 second. Drain them with a spatula and transfer them in a bow of cold ice water with ice cubes. Blanching will help the ramps to maintain their green bright color and you will not end up with a brown pesto!
Transfer the leaves, previously squeezed in an food processor or immersion blender. Add the pistacchios, the ramp bulbs and stems and pulse a few minutes. Then add the Parmesan and pulse again. Finally add the extra virgin olive oil slowly while you continue blending it. Transfer in a bowl and your ramp pistachio pesto is ready.
What is the difference between Ramp pesto and classic basil pesto?
Ramp pesto and basil pesto are both delicious, but they are quite different in terms of flavor. Basil pesto is made with fresh basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and extra virgin olive oil. It has a bright, fresh, and herbaceous taste.
Ramp pesto, on the other hand, is made with ramps, which are a wild onion that grows in the spring. Ramps have a garlicky, slightly sweet flavor that is similar to a cross between onions and garlic. Ramp pesto is typically made with ramps, nuts – pistachios in this case – Parmesan cheese, and extra virgin olive oil. The bulb and stems replace the garlic that you will use in the basil.
So, in summary, the main difference between ramp pesto and basil pesto is the flavor profile. Basil pesto is bright, fresh with a hint of garlic, while ramp pesto is garlicky and slightly sweet.
The other difference lays in the texture: the ramp pesto is slightly more grainy as you use stems and bulbs, while the basil pesto is smoother.
More delicious pesto recipes for you
How to use ramp pesto
This wild ramp pesto recipe is a great sauce for a creamy pasta. My preference is shapes such as fusilli, farfalle or elbow pasta as they will take more pasta. If instead you love making home made pasta look no further than trofie or homemade orecchiette.
This recipe makes also a bold and delicious ramp dip, ideal to add to your grazing board along with some crostini and veggies. Ramp pesto is great as a dip or as a spread for gilled lamb chiken or grilled fish.
How to cook ramps?
You can also use your creativity and make different ramps recipes:
– Use the whole ramp in a frittata or fritters ( you can use them instead of zucchini, or mix them with any other veggie).
-Add it to a spring minestrone.
-Sautee the ramps and use it as a side for any main course.
–Garnish flatbread or pizza.
-Use it instead of scallions.
How to store ramp pesto
Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 days.
Can you freeze ramp pesto? You can freeze it for up to a month, so this goodness can last all year long!
Please let me know in the comments how you like this Wild Ramp Pesto, and if you make it please leave a star rating! I would really love to hear from you, and hope this quick pesto recipe will make you discover this flavorful spring produce!
Equipment
- 1 Blender
Ingredients
- 1 bunch ramps
- 1/3 cup olive oil extra virgin
- 1/4 cup pistacchios
- 4 tbsp Parmesan
Instructions
- First of all remove the dirt and the bottom of the bulbs. Wash well the ramp leaves, rinsing well the leaves as well. Cut the leaves and chop the stems and the bulbs.
- Bring a pot of water to roaring boil and blanch the ramps leaves for 30-45 second. Drain them with a spatula and transfer them in a bow of cold ice water with ice cubes.
- Transfer the leaves, previously squeezed in a food processor or immersion blender.
- Add the pistachios, the ramp bulbs and stems and pulse a few minutes. Then add the Parmesan and pulse again.
- Finally add the extra virgin olive oil slowly while you continue blending it. Transfer in a bowl and your ramp pistachio pesto is ready.
Nutrition
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