Wild Onion Pasta!

Posted by from the Hunter, Angler, Gardener, Cook

April 26, 2022

There are dozens of wild onions across the United States and the world. From ramps to chives to nodding onions - they come in many sizes and shapes and from many ecologies. Likewise in cooking, they can add flavor to a wide diversity of dishes. In our nursery, we sell one that's particularly tasty and beautiful: the Nodding Onion.

All parts of this wild onion are edible raw or cooked, and can be eaten and prepared just like a traditional bunching/green onion. The flavor of Nodding Onion tends to be stronger than supermarket varieties; the taste mellows and sweetens as it’s cooked. Bulbs and lower stalks can be used in stir-fries; green leaves can be finely chopped and added to salads; flowers can be used as garnish.

This chef has come up with a creative approach to harvesting and cooking wild onions. He's got 13 different recipes, but the one we liked the most was the Wild Onion & Morel Pasta - simple and seasonal.

After several seasons of raging Summer fires, the morels are rapidly colonizing our National Forest hillsides. As we go out to pick, we've been inspired to find the right taste-pairing, and wild onions are a great choice!

Ramp Pasta with Morel Ragu

Don't be frightened by the long instructions. This is a pretty simple recipe, and I am merely writing long to walk you through the nuances of making this dish -- I would not want you to mess up with precious ingredients like morel mushrooms and ramps. And while I did design this recipe for ramps and morels, a classic combination, you can do it with spinach (or another kind of green onion) and other mushrooms, if you'd like. The flavor will be different, but it will still be pretty.

Prep Time
1 hr 20 mins

Cook Time
20 mins

Total Time
1 hr 40 mins

Ingredients:
PASTA
▢10 ounces all-purpose flour, about 2 heaping cups
▢4 1/2 ounces blanched ramp leaves, about a cup

MOREL RAGU
▢1 pound fresh morels
▢1/2 pounds ramps or 5 green onions, leaves and bulbs separated
▢3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
▢Salt
▢1/4 teaspoon caraway seed
▢1 cup chicken or mushroom broth
▢Black pepper to taste

See the Full Recipe HERE