Spaghetti with Ramps

Spaghetti with Ramps

1/2 lb ramps
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest or lemon juice
Red chili flakes (optional)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb spaghetti
4 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan
Toasted bread crumbs

1. Trim roots from ramps and slip off outer skin on bulbs, if loose. Blanch ramps in a 6-quart pot of boiling salted water, 5 to 10 seconds, lift out of boiling water and transfer to cutting board. Coarsely chop ramps and put in a blender with zest and oil.

2. Add spaghetti to boiling water and cook a few minutes, then ladle out 1/2 cup pasta water and add to blender. Pur�e ramps until smooth and season with salt. Continue to cook spaghetti until al dente, then ladle out about 1 cup additional pasta water before draining spaghetti in a colander. Return pasta to pot with ramp pur�e and toss with parmesan over moderate heat for several minutes, thinning sauce with a little pasta water as needed to coat pasta.

3. Transfer to serving plate a top with bread crumbs.