Creamy Leek Spaghetti Food

CREAMY MUSHROOM AND LEEK PASTA

Steps:

• Cut off the root hairs and most of your green stems. Keep the stems for making stock. This part is edible when you cook it for longer periods of time.
• Cut your leeks in half lengthwise and then half each stock again so you have 4 long quarters. Finley slice the leeks and rinse in cold water to get rid of any dirt in the leek (leeks hide dirt very well). Drain well.
• Heat a large pan over medium/high heat. Add 2 Tbsp olive oil and the finely chopped leeks. Saute 2 minutes.
• Cut mushrooms in half if they are small and into quarters if they are larger. Add halved/sliced mushrooms and 3 pressed garlic cloves. Saute uncovered, stirring often for 8 minutes or until mushrooms are soft.
• Stir in 1/2 cup chicken broth and 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream.
• Add 2 Tbsp chopped dill, 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste) and 1/8 tsp pepper. Simmer uncovered another 5 minutes for the sauce to thicken up a little.
• Pour over your favorite cooked pasta. This would work over just about any noodles. I served it over angel hair pasta (my favorite). Sprinkle with parmesan if you like :)

CREAMY LEEK SPAGHETTI

Steps:

• In a heavy bottomed pot, heat olive oil and butter over medium-high heat and sauté garlic and leeks for 3 to 5 minutes or until they develop some color. Season with salt and pepper.
• Add the white wine, cover and cook for about 10 minutes - giving it some occasional love - until leeks have softened.
• Uncover and continue cooking until the wine has almost completely reduced.
• Stir in the heavy cream and cook until sauce thickens. Taste for seasoning and fix if necessary.
• Add cooked pasta and toss it with sauce. If necessary, add some pasta water to smooth the sauce.
• Serve it with some freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

CREAMY LEEK PASTA

Steps:

• Put the pasta in a pan of boiling water and cook for 12 minutes.
• Put some oil it a pan and add the leeks. Gently cook on a very low heat for 5-7 minutes, until softened.
• Add the garlic, mustard, creme friache and cheese to the pan and stir well.
• Cook on a very low heat for a further minute.
• Drain the pasta and stir in to the sauce.

PASTA WITH BACON AND LEEKS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water; drain the pasta.
• Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels; pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the drippings from the skillet.
• Add the leeks to the drippings in the skillet. Season with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the heavy cream and cook until it begins to thicken, about 2 minutes.
• Add the pasta to the skillet along with the parmesan, half of the bacon and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; toss to coat, adding enough of the reserved pasta cooking water to loosen. To serve, top with the remaining bacon, more parmesan and parsley.

CREAMY HAM, LEEK & MUSHROOM SPAGHETTI

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Stir in the leeks, 2 tbsp water and some seasoning, cover, then cook for 5 mins over a medium heat until softened. Add the mushrooms and garlic, then cook for 3 mins more. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti according to pack instructions, then drain, reserving a little of the cooking liquid.
• Stir the soft cheese into the leek and mushroom mixture, adding enough of the reserved pasta liquid to give a sauce-like consistency. Add the ham, basil leaves and Parmesan, then toss in the spaghetti.

VEGAN CREAMY LEEK PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high.
• Meanwhile, prepare your leeks: Trim 1/2 inch off both ends, then cut each leek crosswise, separating the bottom third of the white portion from the top two-thirds of light and dark leek greens. Halve the greens lengthwise, wash them, then set them aside.
• Halve your leek whites lengthwise, cut them crosswise into 2-inch segments, then slice those segments thinly lengthwise to create matchsticks. (If you notice any grit in the sliced leek whites, wash them thoroughly, transfer them to a dish towel, squeezing to remove excess moisture, then spread them out to dry.)
• In a small, deep saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high and line a baking sheet with paper towels. Working in three to four batches for even cooking, add about 1/4 of the white leek strips and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 4 minutes. The key here is to keep residual cooking in mind: Since your delicate leeks will continue cooking after being removed from the hot oil, you want to pull them from the hot oil when about a third of each batch is fully golden, a third is lightly golden and another third is still green. (They won't cook perfectly evenly; it's not you, it's them and the nature of cooking.) Remove them swiftly, using a slotted spoon and tilting the saucepan to transfer the leeks to the paper towel-lined plate. Season to taste with salt. Repeat with the remaining batches. Set the oil aside to cool.
• Add the pasta and leek greens to the boiling water, reduce the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is just shy of al dente, about 8 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water. Using tongs, transfer the leek greens to a blender, then pour the pasta into a colander set in the sink.
• Add the reserved leek oil to the leek greens, along with 2/3 cup pasta water and a generous pinch each of salt and pepper, and blend until creamy. Add the sauce to the pot and stir in the pasta. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and add more pasta water, if desired, to thin the sauce. Divide among plates and sprinkle with frizzled leeks. Grate fresh lemon zest on top, if desired, then squeeze with lemon. Serve immediately.

CHEESY LEEK & BACON PASTA

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Add the leeks and 2 tbsp water, and cook for about 10 mins until very soft. Add the bacon, turn up the heat and fry until cooked.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta following pack instructions. Drain and reserve a mug of the cooking water.
• Spoon cheese into the leek and bacon mix, adding some of the reserved cooking water. Season and stir gently over a low heat until melted. Toss through the cooked pasta, adding a little more cooking water, if needed, to help the sauce coat the pasta.

CREAMY ONE-POT MUSHROOM AND LEEK PASTA

Steps:

• Heat a wide, deep 12-inch skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high. When hot, add the olive oil and leeks, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until softened and lightly golden, 5 minutes.
• Stir in the garlic and mushrooms. Cook, undisturbed, for 2 minutes, then stir and cook, undisturbed, until the mushrooms start to caramelize and stick to the bottom of the pan, another 2 to 3 minutes. (This allows the water from the mushrooms to evaporate, encouraging caramelization.) Add the juice of one lemon half to deglaze the pan and stir to combine.
• Add the pasta and stock; stir well. Cover with lid and cook on medium heat. Begin tasting pasta 10 minutes after you add it. (All pasta shapes and brands will have different cooking times. You want the pasta to be just tender.)
• Once the pasta is cooked, turn off the heat and add the butter and parsley. Squeeze in the juice from the remaining lemon half and stir until butter is melted and dispersed. Season with salt and pepper.
• To serve, top with ricotta, red-pepper flakes (to taste) and more chopped parsley.