If you live in the Northeast in early-mid spring, you probably have heard about ramps. If you haven’t, ramps are a hyper-seasonal allium plant. Ramps are generally foraged, only available in the northeast of the US, and only from about April through May.
Ramps may be a bit hard to get your hands on, but they are beyond worth it. They have a delicious garlicky flavor while still being somewhat sweet and mellow. There are so many ways to use them (ramp pesto, ramp butter, pickled ramps, etc), but I wanted to keep it simple with this Ramp Spaghetti.
If you can’t access ramps, you can use scallions (though the allium flavor may be a bit stronger) or wild garlic. Check with your local farmers market for best options!
Ramp Spaghetti with White Wine & Butter
Ingredients
- 5-6 ounces Thin spaghetti or other long pasta
- 5-7 Ramps cleaned, leaves separated from stems
- 1 Lemon zested into strips, ½ used for juice
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- pinch Red pepper flakes optional
- ¼ cup White wine
- 2 tbsp Salted butter cut into cubes
- 1 tbsp Kosher salt plus more to taste
- ¼ cup Parmigiano Reggiano microplaned
Instructions
- Wash and dry ramps. Use a knife to separate the green leaves from the white stem/bulb. Slice the green leaves in half longways to create thin strips. Chop the white parts into small rounds, discarding the roots if applicable.
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, then add at least 1 tablespoon of kosher salt to the water. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.
- While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the chopped white parts of the ramp along with a small pinch of red pepper flakes and lemon zest strips. Saute until the ramp stems become soft and fragrant. Add 1/4 cup white wine to the pan and continue to cook until the wine has mostly evaporated.
- Lower the heat and add 2 tbsp salted butter, stirring/whisking continuously until the butter emulsifies into the sauce. With the heat on low, add the ramp leaves to the pan and gently stir.
- Drain the pasta and add directly to the pan with the white wine butter sauce. Stir and toss to combine with the sauce and the ramp leaves. Add pasta water periodically to maintain a saucey consistency.
- Turn off the heat. Grate approximately 1/4 cup of parmigiano reggiano cheese over the top of the pasta. Slowly pour a bit of pasta water (2-3 tbsp) over the cheese to help it melt. Once cheese has begun to melt on the pasta, use tongs or a rubber spatula to combine. Squeeze 1/2 lemon and stir. Taste and add more salt and black pepper to your liking.
