Pasta with Ramps and Portobello Mushrooms

inAmerican Recipes, Italian Recipes, Pasta Recipes, Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes
  • YIELDS | 4 SERVINGS
  • PREP TIME | 10 MINS
  • COOK TIME | 25-30 MINS

Garlicky ramps and portobello mushrooms create a savory, earthy-flavored sauce that seeps into the nooks and crannies of the cylindrical pasta. The tiny bit of nutmeg offsets the ramps beautifully. This is a fun seasonal dish to try when the ramps are at their peak in mid-spring.

Ingredients

  • 20 ramps
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling, optional
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 cups dried mezzo rigatoni or other bite-size pasta
  • 4 Portobello mushrooms, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 15 cremini mushrooms, trimmed and cut in half
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese or more to taste
  • 2-3 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, minced
  • 4 tablespoons ricotta or burrata cheese, optional

Instructions

  1. Trim the roots from the ramps with a paring knife, and remove any loose outer layers clinging to the bulbs. Wash the ramps a few times in warm water to remove the dirt. Coarsely chop the leaves and set them aside. Slice the bulbs down the middle and set aside.
  2. Fill a large pot with water over high heat. When the water is boiling, stir in the pasta and cook until al dente and according the package directions.
  3. Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the ramp bulbs and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until soft, stirring often, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cremini mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes more. Pour in the wine and simmer gently, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
  4. When the pasta is ready, drain it, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water. Add the pasta and the cooking water to the mushrooms along with the ramp leaves, lemon zest, and nutmeg, and cook on high for 2 minutes.
  5. Serve the pasta piping hot. If using the ricotta or Burrata, nestle it into the warm pasta.
  6. Top with a generous shower of grated Pecorino Romano, the parsley, a drizzle of olive oil, a few good cranks of freshly ground pepper, and Kosher salt to taste.