Slice the ramps, in half crosswise, separating the whites and greens into separate parts. Very roughly chop the bulbs, leaving some large pieces. Very roughly the leaves, leaving most of the greens in large pieces.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the white ramp bulbs, season with salt and pepper and sauté for about 8 minutes, then add the leaves and saute everything for another 5 or 6 minutes until the ramps are quite tender.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. When it comes to a boil, add a generous amount of salt. Add the pasta cook according to package directions, just until al dente. Just before draining remove 1 cup of the cooking water, and after draining return the pasta to the pot.
When the ramps are tender, turn the heat to high, add the white wine, and stir to reduce the wine by half and deglaze the pan. Scrape the ramps and remaining wine into the pot with the drained pasta, and place the pot over high heat. Add the chicken broth, red pepper flakes, and about half a cup of the cooking water. Stir and toss until the liquid reduces a bit into a sauce and absorbs into the pasta, and the pasta become tender, adding more of the cooking water as needed/desired. Add the heavy cream, toss for another minute, then add the cheese, and stir until it melts into the sauce, and everything is hot and well combined.
Serve hot, with extra grated Parm, if desired.
Notes
My kids pick these with me every spring. They don’t always do it willingly (see above), but it’s one of my favorite outdoorsy moments with them every year. Seriously foraging for an ingredient and then using it straight away in a recipe is one of the most gratifying experiences ever, and since I wouldn’t trust myself to know a good mushroom from a poisonous one, I’m all about these wild green onions.This might be the first dish to make if you’ve gotten hold of a bunch of ramps, either through your own labor, or via a farmers’ market, and you want to make something with them stat, without a whole lot of thought or time.