Ramps, one of the tell-tale signs of winter’s departure. A fragrant, flavorful addition that adds a splash of color to many spring dishes. Their growing window is short – utilize them while you can! They are typically available only from late March to late May, depending on where you live.

This recipe is the ultimate spring comfort food. Creamy and packed full of flavor thanks to the ramps, pasta has never tasted so good!

Creamy Ramps and Pasta

Nothing beats the garlicy, mild onion flavor of a fresh spring ramp. The entire plant is used in this recipe and its a must-have spring comfort side dish!

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Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup ramps- rinsed and chopped, white bulbs separate from the green leaves
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup half and half
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 8 oz dried pasta of choice egg noodles were used in this recipe, but fettucine, penne, or bowtie work well

Instructions

 

• Start the water for the pasta; add additional salt to the water.
• Heat oil in skillet over medium heat, add the chopped white bulbs and any pink stems to the oil. Sprinkle half of the salt over the ramps. Sauté for about 5 minutes or until just turning golden in color.
  
• Add the half and half to the skillet as well as the remaining salt and pepper. Let it come to a simmer.
• Once pasta water is boiling, add pasta and stir. Cook until al dente.
• Meanwhile, while pasta is cooking and once the half and half mixture is simmering, add the chopped, green ramp leaves to the skillet. Stir frequently for about 3-4 minutes.
  
• Add cornstarch to 3 Tbsp of cold water and mix well. Add cornstarch mixture to the skillet and stir constantly until desired consistency.
• Drain pasta, saving about 1 cup of liquid.
• Add the ramp/half and half mixture to the pasta. Add reserved pasta water as needed to reach desired consistency. Should be a smooth, creamy sauce.
  

Notes

• To easily clean ramps, I pulled the outer shells off of the bulbs while dry. Then I cut the bulbs and stems separately from the leaves. Cleaning and drying both in my salad spinner separately.
• Heavy cream can be used instead of half and half. Cut down the cornstarch by half or omit it altogether, as heavy cream will thicken on its own. 
• A great side dish to accompany roasted cauliflower, herb chicken strips or oven-roasted salmon. 

Keyword creamy, mild, pasta, ramp, ramps