This leek pasta recipe combines the delicate sweetness of leeks, hints of fennel, and hearty pasta to create a flavourful and comforting meal.
This leek pasta recipe combines the delicate sweetness of leeks, hints of fragrant fennel, and hearty pasta to create a flavourful and comforting meal.
This straightforward but scrumptious dish is ideal for any evening of the week, whether or not you might be searching for a fast and straightforward meal or one thing extra particular to impress friends. With only a few elements and minimal prep time, this leek pasta recipe is certain to grow to be a staple in your meatless recipe field.
I’ve primarily based this recipe on my mum’s “world-famous” fondue de poireaux, the place leeks are slowly cooked till they’ve a melt-in-the-mouth consistency. I like her model which she serves with just about something.
For this leek pasta recipe, I’ve tailored her technique and I’m cooking the leeks barely faster in oil and butter with shallots and garlic. I’m additionally including fennel seeds, thyme, lemon zest, and walnuts for some further flavour layers and further crunch. Whereas the leeks are “sweating away”, I’m cooking the pasta in a separate pan.
This recipe may be made with any sort of pasta, nevertheless I do like to make use of orecchiette for it. Orecchiette is a scrumptious pasta originating from the Puglia area in Southern Italy. It’s formed like small, concave discs, resembling tiny ears. The title “orecchiette” truly interprets to “little ears” in Italian. The distinctive form of orecchiette makes it the proper pasta to carry onto chunky vegetable sauces. Small shell pasta, referred to as “conchigliette” is one other favorite of mine for vegetable-loaded pasta sauces.
As soon as the leeks are cooked, I make a easy sauce with milk, cornflour (aka corn starch within the US), parmesan-style cheese, and a easy seasoning of salt and pepper. Relying in your dietary preferences, you should utilize dairy or non-dairy milk and cheese for a vegan various. I like to recommend utilizing a impartial non-dairy milk like soya milk and both my Cashew Parmesan or Nurishh Gran Vegiano (my two favorite vegan parmesan-like cheese options).
The best way to make this leek pasta recipe
Elements wanted
To make this creamy leek pasta recipe, you have to some dry pasta, leeks, shallots, fennel seeds, recent thyme, lemon, garlic, olive oil, butter, milk, cornflour, parmesan-style cheese, walnuts, plus salt and pepper.
To minimise any meals waste, I’m utilizing each the inexperienced and white components of the leeks. As defined above, I like to make use of orecchiette pasta to make this dish but it surely works with all sorts of pasta.
Step 1: Prepare dinner the leeks
Warmth the oil and butter over medium-high warmth in a big shallow casserole or frying pan. Add the shallots and prepare dinner till delicate, about 3 minutes.
Subsequent, add the leeks, fennel seeds, thyme, garlic, and lemon zest. Stirring usually, prepare dinner till the leeks are utterly delicate, about quarter-hour.
Step 2: Make the sauce
Stir the milk and cornflour into the leek combination and prepare dinner till the sauce thickens, about 3 minutes. Season to style with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
Step 3: Prepare dinner the pasta
Whereas the leeks are “melting away”, prepare dinner the pasta in a separate pan in accordance with packet directions.
Step 4: Mix and serve this leek pasta
Mix the drained pasta with the leek combination. Stir within the parmesan cheese and walnuts. Season to style with extra salt, floor black pepper, and lemon juice if desired. Serve right away with some further parmesan on prime.
Serving ideas
This leek pasta recipe can merely be served by itself. You can even pair it with a easy aspect salad made with blended greens, cherry tomatoes, and cucumber, and tossed in a lightweight French dressing. You can even serve it with slices of crusty bread or garlic bread.
Frequent questions on this leek pasta recipes
Completely, and as talked about above that is the way in which I make this dish. First, this prevents meals waste and second, the distinction in style and texture between the white and inexperienced components of the leeks provides a extra balanced flavour to the ultimate dish. Additionally needless to say whereas the white components of leeks are sometimes praised for his or her delicate flavour and tenderness, the inexperienced components comprise extra fibre. Don’t waste it … use the entire leek!
Sure, you’ll be able to prepare dinner the leek upfront (as much as step 4) and/or additionally pre-cook the pasta (or use leftover cooked pasta). The one step that I don’t advise to prepare dinner forward is the sauce (step 5) as reheating it will make this dish too dry.
I wouldn’t freeze it! Pasta dishes with creamy sauces are greatest eaten recent. When frozen, the feel of the sauce and pasta can change upon thawing and reheating, usually changing into grainy or separating. You may nevertheless refrigerate any leftovers for as much as two days.
Watch how one can make this leek pasta recipe
I hope you take pleasure in this leek pasta recipe as a lot as we do. In case you do make this recipe, don’t neglect to tag me on Instagram!
Leek Pasta
This recipe combines the delicate sweetness of leeks with hearty pasta and hints of fennel to create a flavourful and comforting meal.
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Elements
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp butter (typical or dairy-free)
- 100 g shallots, finely sliced
- 500 g leek, minimize into 1cm (1/3 inch) thick slices
- 1 ½ Tbsp fennel seeds
- 3 sprigs of recent thyme
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 500 ml milk (typical or dairy-free)
- 1 Tbsp cornflour
- 300 g dry pasta (I used orecchiette)
- 75 g grated parmesan-style cheese plus further to serve
- 75 g walnuts, roughly crushed
- salt& pepper to style
- Lemon juice to style
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Directions
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Warmth the oil and butter over medium-high warmth in a big shallow casserole or frying pan.
2 Tbsp olive oil, 2 Tbsp butter
-
Add the shallots and prepare dinner till delicate, about 3 minutes.
100 g shallots, finely sliced
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Add the leeks, fennel seeds, thyme, garlic, and lemon zest.
500 g leek, minimize into 1cm (1/3 inch) thick slices, 1 ½ Tbsp fennel seeds, 3 sprigs of recent thyme, 2 garlic cloves, grated, Zest of 1 lemon
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Stirring usually, prepare dinner till the leeks are utterly delicate, about quarter-hour.
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Stir the milk and cornflour into the leek combination and prepare dinner till the sauce thickens, about 3 minutes. Season to style with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
500 ml milk, 1 Tbsp cornflour, salt& pepper, Lemon juice
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Within the meantime, prepare dinner the pasta in accordance with packet directions.
300 g dry pasta
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Mix the drained pasta with the leek combination.
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Stir within the parmesan and walnuts. Season to style with extra salt, pepper, and lemon juice if desired.
75 g grated parmesan-style cheese, 75 g walnuts, roughly crushed
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Serve right away with some further parmesan on prime.
Video
Vitamin
Serving: 1servingEnergy: 522kcalCarbohydrates: 62gProtein: 17gFats: 24gSaturated Fats: 8gPolyunsaturated Fats: 7gMonounsaturated Fats: 7gTrans Fats: 0.2gLdl cholesterol: 31mgSodium: 306mgPotassium: 558mgFiber: 5gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 1784IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 318mgIron: 3mg
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