Pici Pasta with Ramps and Dandelion Greens
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Right around this time last year I read a cranky rant (well, okay, I guess you could say rants by nature lean toward the cranky side), can’t remember where.
Someone complaining about those crazed foodies who seemed to be suffering from some kind of trendy spring fever, everywhere strewing ramps onto every inch of their food and posting pictures of the resulting culinary mayhem all over the Internets.
Now here I am offering up my gratuitous ramp post. You could call me a crazed foodie I suppose, but it has to be said that there’s a reason people go nuts for these stinky undomesticated onions.
What are ramps?
Ramps are alliums, members of the onion family.
They’re wild relatives to leeks and garlic, possessed of a certain mysterious something that makes them exciting to be around, their aroma a presence of musky funkiness that somehow makes you lean in closer, provocatively.
Untamed, but something you would very much like to get to know, or better yet devour hungrily with no words spoken.
I’m talking about ramps here, remember. This is a family channel 🙂
Dandelion greens are another spring thing that pops up, gets foraged and scattered over food but dandelion greens don’t have quite the sexy cachet that a few bunches of ramps do.
Is it because they don’t have that delicious dirty smell? They are also admittedly bitter and a little tough, especially closer to the stems.
My grandmother would cook dandelion down to a murky brown, then saturate them with garlicky olive oil. They went on the table once the smaller people had long departed with bellies full of macaroni, meatballs and assorted pastries. It was the comfort food of her generation, and her grown children too.
I can now appreciate – and even crave – all things on the bitter taste spectrum, greens included. I prefer not to cook them down to mush, although I recognize that long, long cooking removes a bit of that. The dandelion greens you can buy in the produce section aren’t wild but cultivated, definitely milder than wild ones from the backyard.
This combination of strong greens is a good match with pasta of the same character. I love these dried thick hollow noodles from Tuscany called pici.
Chef Jacob Kennedy describes pici in his fantastic book The Geometry of Pasta as “almost brutish in their diameter and lack of uniformity; they go with brutish sauces…”
Pici Pasta with Ramps and Greens
Ingredients
- 12 ounces (340 g) pici, bucatini or perciatelli pasta
- 1 bunch ramps, root ends trimmed
- 1 bunch, about ½ pound dandelion greens; washed
- ¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced lengthwise
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or crushed chili flakes
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 2 tablespoons kosher salt.
- Rinse the ramps to remove any dirt or mud. Separate the green leafy tops from the root ends. Slice the greens into thin ribbons and slice the ramp stalks and bulbs thinly crosswise.
- Slice the woody stems off the dandelion greens until only about ½-inch remains.
- Heat the oil and garlic in a sauté pan until the garlic becomes fragrant and starts to sizzle (but not turn brown). Toss in the ramps and greens and move them around in the pan. Cook partially covered until the greens are wilted and softened, about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta until al dente – it will take a bit longer to cook than spaghetti or thinner long pasta shapes. Just before draining scoop out ⅓ cup of the pasta water and whisk into the eggs.
- Add the drained pasta to the sauté pan off the heat; drizzle in the eggs and toss everything together. Sprinkle with the chili and taste for more salt.
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.
Hey, I’m Karen
Creator of Familystyle Food
I’m a food obsessed super-taster and professionally trained cook ALL about creating elevated dinners with everyday ingredients. Find simplified recipes made from scratch and enjoy incredibly tasty food! Read more about me here.
I’m laughing because it’s so true, ramps have become the darling of the food world in the past few years hasn’t it? Well I for one am not tired of seeing it, so bring on the ramps and dandelion greens!
For sure. Don’t you wonder what the next thing will be? Well, I guess we’re already there with all the foraging for wild things going on!
Growing up in Italy, I learned to appreciate and cook many of these greens that people here in the US consider weeds! They have such depth of flavor and make a delicious addition to many pasta, rice and pizza recipes. If you add a fabulous Italian cheese, it’s perfection!
I love that about weeds and Italians! So “good” for you too.
Absolutely gorgeous!
I was very recently in Tuscany and we had so much thick, fresh pici – I love how chewy it is. I’ll have to keep my eye out for a bag!
OMG! dandelions! that was such a huge part of my upbringing in maine. that and fiddleheads! love this recipe!
Greens and pasta is one of the best combinations ever, especially with a little sprinkle of red pepper flake. I am always & forever jealous of ramps! Oh well, I guess garlic scapes must be around here somewhere, right? 🙂
I agree. Red chili and I have a thing.
I was lucky enough to be given two bundles of the pici ,and it made for a wonderful dinner. I wish I could find it at my local stores. Thanks for the healthy recipe. Dandelion greens are full of nutrients!
Lori, lucky you for sure. My bag of pici was a little spendy. I’d love to make my own some time.
I love pici and this story! 🙂
What a beautiful post. This sounds so good, so perfect for spring. And I know I must sound like a broken record for sure, but once again, you have produced glorious photos and truly enticing writing. Nice job!
Love hearing from you Adri!
This post totally goes with the name of your blog 🙂 Great recipe and story.
Thank you Marta!