Ramp Pesto

This vegan ramp pesto is the perfect way to take advantage of ramp season, which runs from April to early June. Since they're available for such a short window, we're using them as much as we can! Spread this herby, delicious pesto on toast, stir into your pasta, drizzle on a pizza, or use as a dip for crackers.

Why We Love This Recipe

• Fresh and seasonal: Since ramps are only available for a short time, you're almost guaranteed to be working with a fresh, delicious product.
• Versatile: It works as a spread on toast, as a sauce for pasta, a dip for chips, and is great with tofu. If you're cooking for your family, it also works well as a chimichurri replacement for meat.
• Waste not: Chances are you might have some leftover ramps if you went overboard at the supermarket or farmer's market. This recipe is the perfect way to use up any extra ramps.

Ingredients

The key ingredients you need for this vegan ramp pesto include fresh ramps, basil, spinach, parsley, pine nuts and nutritional yeast.

Ingredient Notes

• Ramps: Ramps member of the allium family, meaning they're closely related to onions, garlic, shallots, and leeks. In fact, they're often referred to as "wild leeks". They're quite strong and taste like a cross between onions and garlic.
• Pine nuts: Pine nuts are traditionally used in pestos, but these can be substituted with pistachios, walnuts, or even pumpkin seeds.
• Nutritional Yeast and Vegan Parmesan: we use these as a replacement for regular parmesan, but if you're OK with a little dairy, you can sub the vegan parmesan for regular.

Step-by-step Instructions

1. Bring a medium-sized pot of water to a boil. Set aside a bowl of ice water. 
2. Wash ramps well and trim ends off bulbs. Trim bulbs up to where the leaves start. Roughly chop bulbs and set aside. 
3. Add greens to boiling water and blanch for 30 seconds. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, remove greens from boiling water and submerge in ice water to stop cooking process.
4. Remove from ice water and drain. 
5. Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Expert Tips and FAQs

• Great with pasta: You can't go wrong with a basic pesto pasta. Make a batch of this pesto, stir into your favorite cooked pasta, top with some fresh basil and pine nuts and you're good to go!
• Spread over toast: Move over avocado toast - pesto toast is a new favorite! And if you're not a toast fan, this works great on a sandwich as well.
• Accompany a protein: Pairs well with tofu, chicken and fish.

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