Lemony Ramp Pesto with Basil
from vanillabeancuisine.com
Ingredients:
- 1 bunch of ramps ends trimmed, 2 ounces
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves
- ¼ cup pine nuts toasted (or walnuts or pistachios)
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
- Rinse ramps and basil and pat dry, then chop roughly in 1-2 inch pieces. You can use both the ramp leaves and stalks—you should have about 2 cups total.
- Put in food processor along with pine nuts, parmesan cheese, olive oil, lemon zest, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Blend until combined into a creamy pesto.
- Taste and add additional tablespoon of lemon juice if desired. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
Notes:
- Store ramp pesto in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Ramp pesto can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Ramp stalks and bulbs are more potent than the leaves, so use more leaves vs. stalks if you want a less-garlicky pesto!
