Ramp and Parsley Pesto Recipe

Name: Ramp and Parsley Pesto
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 1 1/3 cups
Ingredients: 2/3 cup walnuts; 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil; 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (you could also use pecorino); 1 small bunch parsley; 1 small bunch ramps or thin green garlic; Pinch of salt

9 Ways to Make Pesto Straight from the Garden

FEATURED IN:

Please welcome Hank as he shares one of his favorite things to make with wild foraged ramps, ramp and parsley pesto. Outstanding with pasta, though I ate half of this straight with a spoon. So good. ~Elise

Ramps arrive in the East Coast well before good basil can be found, so I’ve adapted a classic cool-weather pesto from Liguria, in Northern Italy, that uses walnuts and parsley instead of basil and pine nuts.

Only, in this case, I am substituting the garlic in that pesto for fresh ramps, which are a kind of wild onion that has a pronounced garlic flavor.

How to Keep Your Pesto Green!

I blanch the greens first to keep them vivid; if you don’t do this, your pesto will oxidize and turn brown in a few hours unless you cover it in olive oil.

Substitutes for Ramps

If you can’t find ramps, use green garlic. Both are available at farmer’s markets in spring, although ramps are tough to locate west of Minnesota.

sautéed ramps over ramp pesto plate — Elise Bauer

What to Do With Ramp Pesto

In the photo above, the ramp pesto is served with white ends of ramps, sautéed in olive oil and sprinkled with lemon zest.

Use can also use your ramp pesto just as you would any other pesto: toss it with pasta or in a risotto, spread it on burgers and sandwiches, swirl it into a bowl of soup, or serve it with eggs.

How to Store Ramp Pesto

Keep the pesto covered in the fridge with a thin layer of olive oil over it, and use within a few days. For longer storage, freeze for up to three months.

More Ways to Enjoy Pesto Year Round

Ramp and Parsley Pesto

Prep Time 15 mins

Total Time 15 mins

Yield 1 1/3 cups

Serve this pesto like you would any other: With pasta or in risotto, on crusty bread, or as a dollop in soup.

2/3 cup walnuts
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (you could also use pecorino)
1 small bunch parsley
1 small bunch ramps or thin green garlic
Pinch kosher salt

Food processor

Toast the walnuts:

In a dry frying pan over medium heat, toast the walnuts. Toss from time to time, until you can smell them, about 5-7 minutes.
Blanch the parsley and ramp greens:

Bring a large pot of salty water to a rolling boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water.

Blanch the parsley in the boiling water for 1 minute, then submerge it in the ice water (shocking the parsley with ice water will keep it bright green).

Cut the leaves off the ramps, leaving the white parts for another use. Blanch the ramp leaves in the boiling water for 30 seconds. Douse in the ice water.
Wring out excess water:

Drain the parsley and ramp leaves, then put them in a kitchen towel. Wrap the towel around the greens, and twist one end of the towel one way, and the other end of the towel the opposite way. Wring out the parsley and ramps tightly. You want as much water as you can to drain away.
Blend in food processor:

Chop the parsley and ramps well and put into the bowl of a food processor. Chop the walnuts well and put them in, too. Add the Parmigiano cheese and a healthy pinch of salt.

Pulse the mixture together a few times, then, with the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil slowly. Stop the food processor immediately after the oil is incorporated. Taste for salt, and add if needed.

Serve within a couple days. For storage, keep covered in the fridge with a thin layer of olive oil over it. Freeze if you will have any left over after 3 days.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
1826	Calories
168g	Fat
62g	Carbs
34g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories	1826
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 168g	216%
Saturated Fat 27g	135%
Cholesterol 43mg	14%
Sodium 1009mg	44%
Total Carbohydrate 62g	22%
Dietary Fiber 8g	27%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 34g
Vitamin C 48mg	242%
Calcium 747mg	57%
Iron 5mg	30%
Potassium 966mg	21%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.