Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • ½ pound ramps
  • cleaned and trimmed of root
  • separate bulbs and stems from leaves (if ramps are out of season
  • use a combination of basil
  • parsley
  • mint
  • garlic and chives)
  • 1 lemon
  • zest and juice
  • ¼ cup shelled pistachios or hazelnuts
  • toasted
  • ¼ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (a handful)
  • About ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
  • ¾ cup or 6 ounces Bufala ricotta or fresh cow’s milk ricotta
  • Salt
  • to taste
  • 1 pound long fusilli or spaghetti
  • Ground pink peppercorn
  • to serve
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 small onion
  • finely chopped
  • 2 large cloves garlic
  • chopped or grated
  • Salt
  • to taste
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 2 cups passata or tomato puree
  • 1 can (28 ounces) San Marzano tomatoes
  • A small handful of basil leaves
  • torn
  • 4 pieces boneless
  • skinless chicken breast with tenderloin attached
  • 1½ cups AP flour
  • Salt and pepper
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1 cup panko
  • 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 2 teaspoons chili flakes
  • 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
  • 2 teaspoons granulated onion
  • 2 teaspoons oregano
  • A handful of flat-leaf parsley
  • finely chopped
  • Olive oil
  • for shallow frying

Instruction

  • For fusilli, bring a large pot of water to a boil for pasta
  • Blanch the ramp tops in boiling water, 15-20 seconds, then cold shock and dry
  • Tops should be bright and vibrant green in color
  • Coarsely chop tops
  • Add ramp bulbs, stems and blanched tops to food processor with lemon zest and juice, pistachios or hazelnuts, and cheese
  • Pulse to finely chop, stream in the EVOO, then add ricotta and salt, process to almost smooth and adjust salt to taste
  • Transfer to a large bowl
  • Salt pasta water and cook pasta 1 minute less than package directions for al dente
  • Add about 1 cup pasta cooking water to sauce in bowl, add pasta and toss to coat
  • Top pasta with pink pepper and serve; pass additional freshly grated cheese
  • For dipping sauce, heat a saucepot or small Dutch oven over medium heat with EVOO
  • Melt butter into oil, and add onions, garlic, and salt
  • Cook until very soft but not browned, 5-6 minutes, then add stock and bring to boil, add puree and tomatoes, break up tomatoes, stir in basil and simmer at low bubble, 20 to 30 minutes
  • For a smooth dipping sauce, use immersion blender to puree
  • For chicken, remove tenders and butterfly each breast into 2 cutlets then cut each cutlet in half lengthwise, the yield will be 5 tenders from each piece of chicken, 20 fingers total
  • Preheat oven to 275˚
  • Arrange breading station: flour seasoned with salt and pepper, eggs whisked with salt and pepper, combine breadcrumbs and panko with cheese and spices and fresh chopped parsley
  • Bread fingers in flour, egg and Parm breadcrumbs
  • Heat the frying oil, about 1/8 inch, in large skillet over medium to medium-high heat and cook chicken in batches to deep golden, 6-7 minutes
  • Keep warm on wire rack-lined baking sheet in oven Serve tenderloins with dipping sauce alongside