Spring

15 Ramps Recipes for Pickling, Pesto-ing, and More

Ramps are fleeting. Make the most of the moment.
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Photo by Gentl & Hyers

When you need ramps recipes, you need them now—there's only a brief window when the wild relative of leeks and onions emerges and starts appearing at local markets. And just as quickly they're gone. So you'd better make a plan, whether it's ramp pesto, pickled ramps, ramp greens cooked into a creamy gratin, or the perfect crispy fritters. Want to go even simpler? You can make a fantastic compound butter with ramps just by blanching cleaned ramps in boiling water, then mixing in a food processor with butter and a pinch of salt. Freeze that concentrated flavor for the future—it's the perfect way to boost the flavor of your vegetables, pasta, or roasted fish. Or, if you don't want to fuss at all, just throw lightly oiled ramps on the grill a few minutes before dinner is ready.

Learn more about ramps here, and find all the recipes you need below.

  • Spring greens gratin in a black castiron skillet.
    Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Simon Andrews
    1/15

    Spring Greens and Leek Gratin

    Lists of ramps recipes often start with pickling, but here's a richer option for spring evenings when you could use a little comfort. Here, the garlicky ramps bolster the flavor of arugula, spinach, and leeks, enriched with cream and Parmesan.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    2/15

    Ramp Fritters

    When in doubt, fritter it. These crispy little delights taste bring to mind onion tempura. Club soda keeps the batter light.

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  • Photo by Gentl & Hyers
    3/15

    Pasta with Ramp Pesto and Guanciale

    Ramp pesto is beloved for a reason—it's earthy and pungent and fragrant. Make it up to two days before serving and stash in the fridge, or keep in the freezer for later.

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  • Photo by Rinne Allen
    4/15

    Ramp Jam

    This savory jam is an excellent accompaniment to pork loin or pork chops.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Elizabeth Jaime, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou
    5/15

    Shrimp Ramp-y

    The combination of garlic and ramps may seem like overkill, but we promise it’s not. The garlic will mellow as it cooks while the ramps stay pungent.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Heather Greene, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou
    6/15

    Butter-Roasted Halibut with Asparagus and Olives

    Vegetables that are best served crisp-tender are a great accompaniment to a slow-roasted fish because they will come out perfectly cooked at the same time. The delicate flavor of the halibut helps the ramps here shine.

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  • Photo by Ted Cavanaugh
    9/15

    Spaghetti With Ramps

    While ramp pesto is a beloved pasta move, you can also simply sauté the ramp bulbs and greens to serve with spaghetti. A squeeze of lemon and some lemon zest keeps things bright.

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  • Photo by Ted Cavanaugh
    10/15

    Ramp and Walnut Pistou

    This robust mix of toasted walnuts, charred ramps, olive oil, and vinegar is great sprinkled over simple vegetable dishes—or a piece of chicken.

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  • Danny Kim
    11/15

    Buttermilk-Fried Ramps

    If you really want to celebrate ramp season, it's hard to do better than these buttermilk-battered fried ramps. Eat them as soon as they're cool enough to touch.

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  • Danny Kim
    12/15

    Ramp Pesto Spaghetti

    Another spin on ramp spaghetti, with walnuts and Pecorino. It's handy to have a food processor around to make this—and you might want to double the ramp pesto recipe for quick dinners in the future.

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  • Danny Kim
    13/15

    Pickled Ramps

    At ramp dinners across Appalachia, ramps are often eaten raw, sometimes doused in white vinegar. But pickled ramps give you a slightly mellower tangy/garlicky experience. Snack on them with a cheese plate, float in your martini, or serve alongside roasted or grilled meat.

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  • Gentl & Hyers
    14/15

    Poached Eggs on Toast with Ramps

    Thanks to ramps recipes like this, we'll happily eat the wild, oniony-garlicky greens for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

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