Wild garlic — also called ramps — has a short season and an intensity that sits somewhere between garlic and scallion. It's milder than cured garlic but more complex, with a green, almost grassy note that works beautifully in pasta. Combined with curly kale and finished with toasted breadcrumbs and a squeeze of Cara Cara orange, this is a weeknight pasta that tastes like it took far more effort than it did.
Ingredients
12 oz spaghetti or linguine (Janie's Mill pasta flour works beautifully here if you're making fresh)
1 bunch wild garlic (ramps), roots trimmed, leaves and bulbs separated
4–5 large curly kale leaves, stems removed, leaves torn into bite-sized pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
½ cup coarse breadcrumbs (day-old sourdough, torn and pulsed)
Zest of 1 Cara Cara orange
Juice of ½ Cara Cara orange
½ cup finely grated Parmesan or aged cheese from Kilgus Farmstead
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Salt and black pepper
Reserved pasta water
Instructions
1. Toast the breadcrumbs. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring frequently, for 4–5 minutes until deeply golden and fragrant. Remove to a small bowl and toss with the Cara Cara zest. Set aside — these go on at the very end and should stay crispy.
2. Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until 1 minute shy of al dente — it will finish cooking in the pan. Before draining, scoop out about 1 cup of pasta water and set aside.
3. Build the sauce. While the pasta cooks, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the same skillet over medium. Finely slice the wild garlic bulbs and add them to the pan with the red pepper flakes. Cook for 2 minutes until softened and fragrant — they'll smell incredible. Add the kale and toss to coat in the oil. Cook for 3–4 minutes, adding a splash of pasta water to help the kale wilt and steam. Roughly chop the wild garlic leaves and add them off the heat — they're more delicate and you want them to stay a little green and fresh.
4. Finish the pasta. Add the drained pasta directly to the skillet with the kale and wild garlic. Add ½ cup of pasta water and toss vigorously over medium heat for 1–2 minutes, letting the starchy water emulsify with the oil into a glossy, light sauce. Add the Cara Cara juice and half the Parmesan and toss again. The pasta should be well-coated and slightly saucy — add more pasta water if it looks dry.
5. Serve. Divide into bowls and top with the remaining Parmesan, a generous handful of the zesty breadcrumbs, and a crack of black pepper. Eat immediately — the breadcrumbs are best when they're still crispy.
Notes
Wild garlic is fleeting — it's available for only a few weeks in spring. Use it within a week of delivery and store it wrapped loosely in a damp paper towel in the fridge. The bulbs are more pungent than the leaves; the leaves are more delicate and best added raw or barely cooked, as done here.
The Cara Cara orange is not just garnish — its juice brightens the whole dish and cuts through the richness of the olive oil and cheese. If you've used yours already, a squeeze of lemon works, but the floral sweetness of the Cara Cara is worth seeking out.
For a heartier version, add a soft-boiled pasture-raised egg from 3 Brothers Farm on top — the yolk breaks into the pasta and makes the sauce even more luxurious.
Farms in this recipe: Cross Road Acres (wild garlic), Carrolls Timber Edge Farm (curly kale), San Gabriel Ranch (Cara Cara oranges), Kilgus Farmstead (aged cheese), 3 Brothers Farm (eggs, optional).
