Ramp Pesto
Ramp pesto is hands down my favorite pesto. Ramps are a cousin of garlic and onion and have a distinct, bold pungency with subtle sweetness.
Servings: 4
Calories: 494kcal
Ingredients
- 7 oz. ramp leaves 1 lb. of ramps with bulbs and roots
- ⅔ cup pine nuts or pistachios
- ½ cup olive oil plus more to get to the right consistency
- ¾ cup parmesan grated
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Blanch* the leaves in for 15 seconds in boiling water then immediately transfer to an ice bath. Then, squeeze out the water.
- Toast pine nuts over medium heat. Keep your eye on them to make sure they don't burn.
- Add the blanched leaves and nuts to the bowl of a food processor or blender. With the food processor on, slowly add the olive oil.
- Finely grate the parmesan into a medium sized bowl. The parmesan is salty so we don't add salt until the end.
- Add the contents of the food processor to the parmesan.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
* You can skip blanching the leaves, however, the pesto will have a less vibrant green color.
This recipe works best with just the leaves, which is also the most sustainable usage of ramps. If I have the bulbs, I will trim the bottom roots off, slice the bulbs in half, and crosswise into smaller pieces. Then, heat some olive oil in a large skillet. Sautée the ramp bulbs with a pinch of red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper until they start to become translucent. Stir into the pesto.
Nutrition
Calories: 494kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 47g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 25g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 883mg | Potassium: 152mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 996IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 256mg | Iron: 3mg
