Creamy Leek Pasta

Name: Creamy Leek Pasta
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 140 g linguine; 2 large leeks (thinly sliced); 3 garlic cloves (crushed); 1 tsp dijon mustard; 50 g mature reduced fat cheddar; 150 ml reduced fat creme friache

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A creamy pasta dish is total comfort food and this one couldn't be easier. Just 5 ingredients go in to making this creamy leek sauce, which goes perfect on top of pasta, or even mashed potatoes. Creamy Leek Pasta is a great way to make use of the, in my opinion, underused leek, and something a little bit different for pasta night.

Creamy Leek Pasta in a pink bowl next to a bowl of salad and a dish of roasted mushrooms.

I love leeks, and I always forget how much I love them. I don't think they get enough love in the recipe website world, and we are trying to change them. Using them in a pasta sauce is such a simple way to include them more in your diet.

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Why should you try it?
Step by step
Creamy sauce
How to prepare leeks
Ways to adapt it
Serving suggestions
Extra tips
More pasta recipes
Recipe

Why should you try it?

Just 5 ingredients
Can be used on pasta, potatoes, steak or salmon
A new way to use leeks

Step by step

One: Put the pasta in a pan of boiling water and cook for 12 minutes.

Two: Put some oil it a pan and add the leeks. Gently cook on a very low heat for 5-7 minutes, until softened.

Three: Add the garlic, mustard, creme friache and cheese to the pan.

A frying pan with cooked leeks, a dollop of creme fraiche, grated cheese and some mustard.

Four: Stir well and cook on a very low heat for a further minute.

A creamy leek sauce cooking in a frying pan.

Five: Drain the pasta and stir in to the sauce.

Creamy leek pasta cooking in a frying pan.

Creamy sauce

I mean, the recipe is really all about the sauce. And what a sauce it is! Low and slow cooked leeks mixed with plenty of garlic, mustard, creme friache and cheddar. It's creamy, has a bit of a punch from the mustard and plenty of kick from the garlic. It really is everything you could want from a creamy sauce.

We have used reduced fat creme fraiche, however you could use full fat, or even cream if you wanted to. We also used a reduce fat cheddar, but you could swap the cheddar for mozzarella or Parmesan, or even a mixture of them.

How to prepare leeks

It's really easy to prepare and cut up a leek, so don't be put off doing it. Simply chop off the root end, and most of the green stem (these can be kept to make stock with).

Cut the leek in half lengthways, and then each in half again until you have 4 long quarters. Slice them all up and then rinse them in water to make sure you have all the dirt off. Drain them and pat dry to get the excess water off.

Ways to adapt it

We love a recipe that you can adapt, and this one is exactly that. You could add some chopped mushrooms (a mixture of types) to the leeks for extra flavour and texture. You could even add some small diced chicken breast, but note that cooking times would vary.

We added a sprinkling of parsley at the end, however fresh chives or dill would work too. You could even add a sprinkle of red chilli flakes for some heat.

Serving suggestions

We went with linguine, as it's a classic, and the creamy leek sauce clings really well to it. But, you could use any of your favourite pasta shapes.

You don't have to serve this with pasta, it is equally delicious spooned over some homemade mashed potato. We have also used it as a topped for steak and grilled chicken breast, and I might try it on grilled salmon next too. So many options!

FAQs

Can leek pasta be reheated?

Whilst I would always recommend cooking from fresh, especially when it is as quick and easy as this dish, if you have made too much and want to reheat it the next day, then you can.
Put it in a pan on a very low heat and heat through until piping hot. You might want to add a tiny bit of water to loosen it a little.

Extra tips

Add some extra flavour and texture by putting some mushrooms in the pan with the leeks.
You can use a mixture of cheeses like cheddar, parmesan and mozzarella.
Don't throw away the parts of the leek that you cut up - these can be used to make stock.

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