Spaghettoni, Ramps, Ricotta Salada

I love ramps and I love this dish. With their concentrated, bold onion flavor, ramps are surely the greatest manifestation of the Allium genus, an exalted group to begin with.

Spaghettoni, Ramps, Ricotta Salada

Ramps, Allium tricoccum, are a wild bulbous plant native to the southeast US all the way up through Canada. In both West Virginia and Quebec they are delicacies, with regional dishes and local festivities dedicated to the ramp. Ramps are one of the few remaining seasonal foods in the US, available only briefly in early spring. While attempts are underway to cultivate, even commercially available ramps are harvested from the wild. Although called a wild leek, the plant looks more like a scallion with a wider, leaf-like green top. The root-end, white and crisp, is very reminiscent of scallion. The middle greens are crunchy and the upper leaves are tender. The flavor is not unlike a cross between shallot and garlic. Potent, but pure, without the biting sulphur note of onions.

In cooking ramps, I like to take advantage of ramps' varied texture, sauteing the lower white roots, gently cooking the middle parts, and only barely wilting the upper greens. We follow that approach in this dish. Ramps are great in any dish as a substitute for onion or garlic. I love them here, with just spaghettoni and some olive oil. They are also great subbed into east Asian dishes, gently sauteed with spring vegetables and morel mushrooms, or chopped into in salsas or guacamole. You can find them at better markets and the side of the road.

Ramps

Spaghettoni is simply thick spaghetti. The meatier noodle allows for a greater al dente crunch—always welcome, but particularly well suited to this dish. Spaghetti is a fine substitute, just make sure to cook to barely al dente. Bucatini or perciatelli also work well.

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:

1 pound spaghettoni
4 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to drizzle
1 pound ramps
1 habanero, minced
1/4 pound ricotta salada, preferably di pecora (from sheep's milk), grated
sea salt, to taste

Bring a large stockpot of heavily-salted water to boil. Once boiling add the spaghettoni and cook to 60 seconds before al dente. Drain, reserving 2 tablespoons of cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, delineate the ramps into upper tender green leaves, middle tougher leaves, and the bottom white parts. Trim and discard the roots. Roughly chop the upper leaves, chop the middle leaves, and 1/2" slice the bottom whites. Keep separated. Reserve 4 small, attractive ramp leaves as a garnish.

Sauteing the white ramp bottoms and middle leaves in olive oil

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Once hot, add the bottom white parts of the ramp. Saute, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the minced habanero and chopped middle leaves. Season with sea salt. Saute until the habanero is aromatic and the middle leaves are tender, about 90 seconds.

Add the spaghettoni, upper leaves, and reserved cooking liquid. Toss continually to coat the pasta and wilt but not cook down the upper leaves.

Plated, garnished, and ready to serve

Soon as the upper leaves are just wilted, divide among warm pasta bowls. Garnish with grated ricotta salada and a small ramp leaf. Serve immediately. Pairs well with a white wine from the Orvieto Classico DOC, around Orvieto, Umbria, Italy.