This ramp pesto is hands down my favorite pesto. Ramps are like a cousin of garlic and onion – they're in the allium family and have a distinct, bold pungency with a subtle sweetness.
🌟 Why you'll love this recipe
💚 Extra special recipe 💚
This recipe is extra special for me because my friend Justin shared it with me. He has a blog that focuses on BBQ & smoker recipes. Be sure to check out all the tips & guides at Salt Pepper Skillet.
🌱 When and Where Can I Find Ramps?
Ramps a.k.a wild leeks or spring onions are in the allium family, closely related to onions, garlic, and shallots. The exact time that ramps are in season varies across North America, but you typically start to see them in early spring, and ramp season generally spans from March to May.
I usually find my ramps at a local farmers' market in early April, after keeping an eye out for them for weeks! I think this is the best place to find them. You can forage them, but I would only recommend doing this if you have experience foraging wild herbs and plants. You can learn about foraging ramps in my guide to ramps.
Ramps resemble a variety of other plants including poisonous lily of the valley, so you must know how to identify them and forage them safely.
🧾 Ingredients in Ramp Pesto
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
👩🍳How to Make This Recipe
💚 Pro Pesto Tip 💚
Use this pesto as a spread for sandwiches, as a dip for fresh veggies, and even as a pizza sauce! Try it in this focaccia pizza 👌
🏆 Tips for The Best-Tasting Pesto
- Use the freshest, most high-quality ingredients – in simple recipes with only a few ingredients, the quality of each element matters. Using high-quality olive oil, freshly grated Parmesan, and fresh ramps will take this pesto to the next level.
- Always toast nuts – toasting the pinenuts helps release their aroma and flavor, adding a more complex warm nuttiness to the pesto. It takes a little extra time but is 100% worth it.
- Blanch the ramp leaves – You could skip this step and not sacrifice taste, but blanching the leaves gives the pesto that enticing vibrant green color. It enhances your presentation and how appetizing the pesto looks.
🥡 How to Store Ramp Pesto
- Keep this pesto in an airtight container like a jar or small plastic tub. It should have a tight seal.
- The pesto will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days, but I advise eating it in 2-3 days for maximum freshness.
Ramp Pesto
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.
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