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Pasta with ramps, soppressata, spinach, and colorful cherry tomatoes makes a vibrant, savory showstopper. You won’t believe how quick and easy it is to make.
Why we love this recipe
Pasta with ramps, cherry tomatoes, spinach, and soppressata — which gets dolloped with ramp pesto if you’re so inclined — has layers of savory flavors and an absolutely gorgeous vibe. It would be right at home at a spring dinner party.
But it’s ready in less than 30 minutes with minimal fuss, so it’s also a delicious and low-key way to enjoy ramps on a weeknight.
The flavor affinities are carefully considered and nicely balanced, but otherwise this meal is the exact opposite of one of those ramps dinners or festivals where you need a ticket and maybe a slight attitude, and you’re there to put the AMP in RAMP. I’m sure that’s fun too, but that’s not what we’re after here.
I first published a version of this recipe in a piece for Serious Eats back in 2010, FROM THE PERSPECTIVE of ramps. Blogging was…different back then. I kinda miss it.
What you’ll need
Here’s a glance at the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe.
- Buying ramp leaves rather than whole ramps with the bulbs still attached is the best way to ensure they’ve been harvested sustainably. That said, you can 100% use either version in this recipe.
- Soppressata is a dry Italian salami. For this recipe, I buy the sweet (not hot) variety and cube it myself. Look for it near the cheese section of a good market.
- You can use any shape of pasta that you love. I’ve used farfalle here, and it works beautifully. Other short, substantial shapes would also be a great fit, but if you’re in the mood for a long shape like spaghetti or linguine, go for it.
- Here’s where to find our ramp pesto. You can make this recipe with or without it. It’s great both ways.
How to make it
Here’s what you’ll do to make a beautiful batch of pasta with ramps and soppressata. You can see the steps in action in the video that accompanies this post, and get all the details in the recipe card below.
- Cook the tomatoes in the oil until they start to get soft.
- Add the ramp leaves and then the spinach. Off the heat, stir in the soppressata.
- Pour in the cooked pasta and the butter and toss to combine.
- If you like, dollop with ramp pesto.
Expert tips and FAQs
Sure thing. Leave out the soppressata (there will still be plenty of flavor) or sub in shiitake bacon.
Ramp pesto freezes beautifully, and this pasta would also be really good out of season with extra ramp pesto and some extra spinach subbing in for the fresh ramps.
I wouldn’t go out of my way to make pasta in advance. If you’re serving this dish hot, as intended, it’s worth putting it together shortly before dinnertime.
That said, it’s also great at room temperature and makes surprisingly good leftovers or meal prep. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
More favorite ramp recipes
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Pasta with Ramps & Soppressata
Ingredients
- 1 pound (454 grams) pasta, such as farfalle
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
- 12 ounces (340 grams) mixed cherry tomatoes, halved (quarter any obnoxiously large ones)
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 5 ounces (142 grams) ramp leaves
- 5 ounces (142 grams) baby spinach leaves
- 4 ounces (114 grams) soppressata, 1/4-inch dice
- 2 tablespoons (28 grams) butter
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Grated parmesan or pecorino cheese
- Ramp pesto to dollop, optional
Instructions
- Cook pasta to al dente in well-salted water according to package directions.
- While the pasta cooks, warm the olive oil over medium heat in a 3.5-quart round braiser or other deep, wide pan.
- Add tomatoes and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes have softened, just a few minutes.
- Add ramps and cook until wilted, about two minutes.
- Add spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted.
- Turn off heat and add soppressata to the top of the mixture to warm gently.
- Drain the pasta and stir it into the vegetable mixture along with the butter and pepper
- Top with grated cheese, black pepper and, if you like, ramp pesto.
Notes
- Buying ramp leaves rather than whole ramps with the bulbs still attached is the best way to ensure they’ve been harvested sustainably. That said, you can 100% use either version in this recipe. If you’ve bought or foraged them with the bulbs attached, trim and discard the roots and then slice off the bulbs. Add the bulbs to the pan at the same time as the tomatoes to give them a few extra minutes to mellow.
- Soppressata is a dry Italian salami. For this recipe, I buy the sweet (not hot) variety and cube it myself. Look for it near the cheese section of a good market.
- You can use any shape of pasta that you love. I’ve used farfalle here, and it works beautifully. Other short, substantial shapes would also be a great fit, but if you’re in the mood for a long shape like spaghetti or linguine, go for it.
- Here’s where to find our ramp pesto. You can make this recipe with or without it. It’s great both ways.
- Vegetarian variation: Leave out the soppressata (there will still be plenty of flavor) or sub in shiitake bacon.
- Ramp pesto freezes beautifully, and this pasta would also be really good out of season with extra ramp pesto and some extra spinach subbing in for the fresh ramps.
- I wouldn’t go out of my way to make pasta in advance. If you’re serving this dish hot, as intended, it’s worth putting it together shortly before dinnertime.
- That said, it’s also great at room temperature and makes surprisingly good leftovers or meal prep. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hungry for more?
Subscribe to Umami Girl’s email updates, and follow along on Instagram.
