Chef Terri Milligan: Spring Greens
When Chef Terri Milligan thinks of spring greens, she's not thinking of lettuce. For her, this refers to fresh farm asparagus and wild ramps.
Ramp pesto is terrific on pasta with a little freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Consider adding it on top of a homemade pasta.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2/3 cup thinly sliced ramp bulbs and slender stems plus three cups of loosely packed thinly sliced green ramp leaves. (If ramps are unavailable, substitute a mix of arugula and additional basil)
- 1 cup grated or shredded Parmesan or Asiago cheese
- 1/3 cup slivered almonds or walnuts
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil
- Salt and white pepper to taste
Instructions
Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add the 2/3 cups ramp bulbs and stems to the skillet and sauté until soft but not browned. Reduce heat if necessary.
Transfer to a food processor. Add the green tops, cheese, nuts and basil. Process until fi nely chopped, scrapping down the sides several times. With machine running, gradually add ½-cup olive oil and purée until smooth.
Season with salt and white pepper to taste. Transfer pesto to a bowl. Can be made a day ahead and refrigerated or frozen in ice cube trays. When frozen, transfer pesto cubes to a freezer bag.
For a homemade pasta recipe and on-line pasta cooking demonstration, visit my website www.chefterrimilligan.com
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