Ramp Pesto Pasta with Shaved Asparagus

This recipe for Pasta with Shaved Asparagus and Ramp Pesto is easy to make and perfect for spring! The ramps are pungent and perfect for pesto, while the sweet asparagus balances everything out.

Traditional pesto recipes use basil as the main green and star of the recipe, like the classic Pesto Genovese or Sicilian Pesto alla Trapanese.

This recipe uses ramp greens with the perfect balance of sweet asparagus and lemon flavor. It's a delicious way to start the spring season. 

Ramps are one of the first vegetables to hit the markets each spring and perhaps the most coveted amongst food fans. They're also the most elusive. Ramps are alliums considered wild leeks or wild garlic, and only show up for a few short weeks in early spring. They look a bit like green onions, but with tender, leafy tops, and have an intense garlicky flavor. 

Though they don't typically show up in grocery stores, you can usually find them at the farmer's market in the spring. And if you're lucky enough to find them, this pesto is perhaps the best way to enjoy them. Serve with pasta as the recipe calls, or save some extra pesto and make pesto pizza with this Neapolitan Pizza Dough. Pesto pizza isn't a traditional Neapolitan dish, but it's still delicious. 

If you're lucky enough to find ramps where you live -  run! Don't walk - to go buy them up and make this pasta. They'll only be available for a limited time.

Why This Recipe Works

• A great way to use and enjoy ramps during their short season.
• Lemon juice brightens the flavor of the ramps and adds a pop of acidity. 
• Walnuts add great texture, omega-3 fatty acids and are less expensive than pine nuts.
• A quick and easy meal that's ready in under 30 minutes!

Ingredient Notes

• Wild ramps - A small bunch of fresh ramps, about 8-12, depending on size, cleaned, ends trimmed and cut in half will be used. You'll use the ramp bulbs and the ramp leaves. Fresh ramps can usually be found between mid March through mid April. Look for them at farmers markets or order them online.
• Walnuts - I love walnuts in this recipe, but if you don't have any, you can use pine nuts or almonds. 
• Lemon - The lemon juice will provide the acidity to balance the strong flavors of the ramps. Use a fresh lemon for the juice in this recipe. 
• Olive oil - Use a good extra virgin olive oil. You'll use quite a bit in this recipe so you want to use a high quality, fresh olive oil.
• Parmesan cheese - Use a good quality parmesan cheese such as Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano. You'll freshly grate it when preparing this wild ramp pesto. Pecorino Romano can be substituted if you don't have parmesan. 
• Pasta - This pesto pairs best with a long pasta such as linguini, spaghetti, bucatini or fettuccine.
• Fresh asparagus - Remove the tough ends of the asparagus and shave with a vegetable peeler into long, thin ribbons. This adds the perfect balance to the strong flavor of the ramps. 

*Full ingredient list with quantities is in the recipe card.

Helpful Equipment

• Food processor - A food processor will blend the ingredients together for the perfect pesto texture. You can also use a high speed blender if you don't have a food processor. 
• Vegetable peeler - Use a good vegetable peeler to shave the asparagus into thin ribbons. 
• Cheese grater - A good cheese grater will help you easily shave your parmesan to use in the pesto and top your pasta. 
• Large pot - You need a large pot to boil the water to cook your pasta. 

Step by step instructions

1. Fill a large pot with water and place on the stove to boil.
2. Add the ramps, walnuts, salt and pepper to the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to break them up. Pour in the lemon juice and let the motor run as you slowly stream in the olive oil to create a smooth sauce. Add the parmesan cheese and pulse a few more times until combined. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
3. Add a generous amount of salt, along with the pasta to the boiling water, and cook until very al dente. Drop the asparagus into the pasta water, gently stir and count to ten.
4. Reserve a cup or two of the pasta water, then drain. Transfer the pasta and asparagus to a serving bowl and toss with the pesto, thinning out with a bit of pasta water as needed to make it saucy. Taste, adjust the seasoning as needed and give an extra squirt of lemon juice to brighten it up, if desired. Garnish with more grated parmesan and chopped walnuts and serve immediately.

Tips For Success

• Ramps can come covered in dirt or mud. It's totally normal. To clean, rinse off the dirt, then place in a bowl of water in the sink and swish them around. If your ramps are really dirty, you may need to dump the water, refill and repeat. Pat dry with a kitchen towel or paper towels when done. 
• I suggest eating this pesto fresh for best flavor (and pretty bright green color), but blanching the ramps first can help prevent brown pesto if you're planning to save for later.
• If you can't find ramps at your local market, you can search online for a local retailer (sometimes you can have them shipped to you), or try making this pesto with spicy arugula and a few cloves of garlic instead.

Serving Suggestions

• Ramp pesto pasta is delicious on its own, but you can serve it with a side of Meyer Lemon Focaccia or a crusty bread. 
• Citrus Herb Grilled Shrimp is a great protein to serve with ramp pesto. It marinates for about an hour, but cooks in just 5 minutes, so it's an easy and delicious addition to this pesto pasta. 
• These Pan Seared Scallops are ready start to finish in 10 minutes and are perfectly caramelized, buttery and tender. Add them for a delicious bit of protein!

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