Ramp Bucatini with Crispy Fried Egg

Jump to Recipe

Ramps are something special. These petite wild onions are pungent, garlicky, umami bombs. They have a blink-or-you’ll-miss-it season, a lengthy development stage, and are mostly foraged. All of this makes the ramp a rarity in the produce aisle. Perhaps their limited availability is what makes the fervor around these seasonal treats so intense. But I think their versatility, and well-rounded flavor are the true keys to their popularity. They are a rare gem, so in today’s Ramp Bucatini, they are the sole focus. Gently enhanced with butter, olive oil, and a dash of white wine, the ramps carry this recipe. This is a ramp appreciation dish, so let’s dig in!

Sometimes referred to as wild leeks, ramps are grown in woodland areas throughout eastern Canada and the eastern United States. They start cropping up in April and the season is usually over by June. They reach their full size by mid-to-late May. Ramps rely on chilly and wet spring weather to thrive, using a blanket of damp wet leaves as insulation through the winter. If conditions are too warm or too cold, ramps may never germinate. This is increasingly a problem as the climate continues to warm. 

Ramps are largely foraged, so they are fairly expensive and supplies are limited. But if you happen to find yourself in a shady area with damp, loamy soil, look around. You may have stumbled upon a sea of ramps. When harvesting ramps, it’s important to exercise control. Ramps take a long time to develop, so over-harvesting in one area could deprive that spot of ramps for up to seven years. It’s also important to leave some ramp bulbs behind, so they can continue to propagate. 

Once you’ve got your mitts on some ramps, it’s time to tackle this Ramp Bucatini. This dish features a nest of chewy bucatini dressed in a silky wine-poached ramp puree. The pasta is finished with a crispy fried egg and topped with finely chopped pickled ramp bulbs. That’s it! Beautifully clean and simple.

First, give the ramps a good rinse and peel any slimy outer layers off of the bulbs. Next, separate the greens from the bulbs and set them aside. Finely chop the bulbs. We’re going to pickle half of the bulbs and sauté the other half. Let’s set up the pickles first. In a bowl, whisk to combine water, white vinegar, sugar, and salt. Add half of the finely chopped ramp bulbs to the vinegar solution and set it aside to pickle while you prep everything else. 

Grab a skillet and add some butter. I used unsalted butter for this because that is what I reliably have in my fridge. But feel free to use salted butter. Once the butter has melted, pour in some olive oil, to prevent the butter from browning too much. Add the remaining half of the chopped ramp bulbs to the skillet. Add a sprinkle of salt and reduce the heat to low. Sauté until softened. Pour in some wine and simmer until reduced by half. Take the skillet off of the heat and add the ramp greens. Stir until they begin to wilt.

Transfer the contents of the skillet to a food processor and blitz until very smooth. Return the purée into the skillet and add some crushed red pepper flakes. Keep the temperature low and add some cooked bucatini. Toss to coat. Add a little extra salt and some Parmigiano Reggiano and toss once again. 

Pile the pasta onto plates and top each serving with a crispy fried egg and the ramp bulbs you pickled earlier. And that’s really it. It may seem bare bones but I promise you this dish does not need anything else.

And that’s everything you need to know about this Ramp Bucatini. Silky smooth, and deliciously simple, this pasta dish is the epitome of quiet elegance. 

Enjoy!