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!
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.