This caramelized leek pasta features meltingly tender leeks in a light lemony cream sauce, tossed with your favorite pasta, topped with optional pangritata. Gluten-free and vegan adaptable.
Why You’ll Love This Leek Pasta!
Give me a good pasta dinner and I’m happy. Simple pleasures, right? This leek pasta is easy enough for weeknights, but elegant enough for company. It’s cozy and comforting yet light!
We know how much you love being resourceful! This leek pasta recipe utilizes the whole leek (stem to top), which is always so satisfying.
The leeks are caramelized until tender and sweet and tossed with pasta and a light creamy sauce, infused with lemon, garlic, and herbs. The toasted bread crumbs (pangritata) are optional, but they add wonderful texture! Adapted from Justine Doiron’s recipe, we know you’ll love it!
LeEK Pasta Recipe Ingredients
- Pasta: We prefer long noodles here- linguine, fettuccine, angel hair, or spaghetti. Feel free to use gluten-free pasta!
- Leeks: You will use the entire leek! Be sure to take your time cleaning them, as they tend to hold onto dirt between their layers.
- Garlic cloves: Add savory, aromatic flavor to the leeks.
- Extra virgin olive oil and unsalted butter: A combination is used to deeply caramelize the leeks.
- All-purpose flour: To thicken the sauce. You can substitute gluten-free flour.
- Milk: Regular whole milk or plant-based milk. I used macadamia nut milk.
- Dijon mustard: For tanginess.
- Nutmeg: For subtle sweetness and warmth.
- Fresh thyme: Adds complexity and herby flavor.
- Fresh Lemon juice: For a pop of bright citrus!
- Pecorino or parmesan cheese: To sprinkle over the top before serving. Or sub vegan parmesan cheese!
- Garnish with toasted bread crumbs (pangritata), lemon zest, and thyme.
How to make Pangritata
Pangritata (or pangrattato) is crispy seasoned bread crumbs. It means ‘grated bread’ in Italian, and is often used to add texture and flavor to pasta dishes.
It only takes a few minutes to make! Mix together untoasted bread crumbs, olive oil, a finely minced garlic clove, fresh thyme (or other herbs), and toast in a skillet over medium heat until golden. Add lemon zest if desired.
Pangritata can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks in a cool location.
Leek pasta Variations
- Top it with protein! Add sliced chicken breast, shrimp scampi, baked cod, or pan-seared branzino.
- Add veggies. We love this with sautéed mushrooms or sautéed asparagus!
- Make it vegan: Use vegan butter and plant-based milk. Skip the cheese on top, and try vegan cheesy sprinkle or vegan parmesan.
- Make it extra creamy: This pasta is already creamy, but if you like it extra rich, you can always add a little half and half or heavy cream into the sauce.
How to Make Caramelized Leek Pasta
1. Prep the leeks. Clean the leeks in water to remove any dirt. Chop off the rough ends and peel off the rough outer layer (or two). Cut off the white part of the leek and slice into rounds or half moons. Then cut the green part in half lengthwise, lay cut-side down, and cut into long, thin strips (similar to the shape of your pasta).
2. Caramelize leeks. Add olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter to a large skillet and warm over medium heat. Add the white slices of leek, stirring frequently for a few minutes. Then add the garlic and continue to sauté for 15-20 minutes until the leeks are soft and lightly browning.
3. Prepare an ice bath in a bowl. Bring a large dutch oven or pot of water to a boil and blanch the green leek strips for 1 minute. Use tongs to remove the strips, drain well, then transfer to the bowl of ice water. Bring the leek water back to a boil, add salt, and cook the pasta until al dente (according to package instructions). Reserve a little pasta water for the sauce.
4. Make the sauce. Push the caramelized leeks in the pan off to the side and melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the center. Add flour and stir for 2 minutes, then add the milk, dijon, kosher salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Whisk until smooth and simmering. Add fresh thyme and turn off the heat.
5. Assemble. To the pan, add the hot pasta, pasta water if needed, drained leek strands, and lemon juice. Toss until combined and adjust seasonings to taste.
6. Garnish. Serve pasta with lemon wedges, grated pecorino (or parmesan), pangrattata (see notes), and red pepper flakes.
Chef’s Tips
- Use a salad spinner to clean leeks. This is an easy hack for thoroughly cleaning leeks.
- Use a long pasta. The shape mimics the long, thin green leek tops.
- Deglaze the pan with a splash of dry white wine or pasta water before adding the milk for added depth and to lift any caramelized bits.
Storage
Store leftover pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
What to serve with Leek pasta
Serve leek pasta with warm, crusty bread and a side salad, or with a side of roasted veggies. Or top the pasta with a grilled protein like chicken or white fish. Here are some of our favorite pairings!
- Little Gem Salad
- White Bean Salad
- Strawberry and Spinach Salad
- Sourdough Bread
- Focaccia
- Grilled Artichokes
- Roasted Asparagus
- Baked Zucchini
- Grilled Chicken
- Pan-Seared Branzino
FAQs
It’s best to sauté the white parts of leeks. Toss in a warm skillet with olive oil and butter until soft and beginning to brown.
They are rich and sweet with a slightly aromatic flavor.
We keep it simple here, with garlic, herbs, lemon juice, and pecorino (or parmesan).
Hope you love this caramelized leek pasta dish as much as we do… it’s perfect for an elevated weeknight meal! Let me know what you think in the comments below!
More Favorite Pasta Recipes!
Caramelized Leek Pasta Recipe
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: serves 4-6
- Category: main, pasta recipe, dinner idea, entertaining, weeknight dinner,
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This caramelized leek pasta features meltingly tender leeks in a light lemony cream sauce, tossed with your favorite pasta, topped with optional pangritata. Gluten-free and vegan adaptable.
Ingredients
- 2 large leeks
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 10 ounces of pasta- linguine, fettuccine, angel hair, spaghetti
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (or gluten free flour)
- 2 cups milk (plant based milk works! I used macadamia nut milk)
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1/2–1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, adjust to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, more to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
- 3–4 tablespoons lemon juice
- pecorino or parmesan cheese to sprinkle when serving
Instructions
- Prepare the leeks. Chop off any rough ends of the leek. Peel the rough outer layer (or two) off the leek. Slice the white parts into thin rounds or half moons, set aside. Slice the green parts in half lengthwise, lay the cut side down on the cutting board, and cut into thin, long strips similar to the size of your noodles. Set aside. Rinse both separately and thoroughly (using a salad spinner is easy here) and drain.
- Caramelize leeks. In a large skillet, saute the white slices of leek (the green strips are blanched in the pasta water in the next step) in the olive oil with one tablespoon of butter over medium heat, stirring often. Add garlic after a few minutes. Continue sautéing on medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes until leeks are soft and lightly caramelized.
- Cook pasta and blanch green leek strips. Prepare an ice bath in a bowl. Bring a large pot of pasta water to boil, blanch the strips of green leeks for 1 minute, remove with tongs, and place in the ice water bowl. Bring the pasta water back to a boil, add salt, and cook the pasta al dente according to the package directions. Drain and reserve a cup of pasta water to adjust the sauce if needed.
- Make the sauce. In the saute pan, push leeks to the side, melt two tablespoons of butter in the middle of the pan. Add flour, and toast, 1-2 minutes, whisk in the milk, dijon, salt, black pepper, and nutmeg. Whisk in until smooth and a light simmer begins, and it thickens a bit. Add in the fresh thyme. Remove from heat.
- Add hot pasta, pasta water if needed to loosen it, leek strands, and lemon juice into the cream sauce, tossing until combined. Adjust seasonings to taste.
- Garnish with lemon zest, lemon wedges, grated pecorino (or parmesan) and pangritata (see notes) and red pepper flakes if desired.
Notes
Make Pangritata: Mix together 1 cup untoasted bread crumbs, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 minced garlic clove, 2 teaspoons fresh thyme (or other herbs). Toast in a skillet over medium heat until golden. Add 1 teaspoon lemon zest if desired.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 332
- Sugar: 6.8 g
- Sodium: 169.3 mg
- Fat: 11.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 47.7 g
- Fiber: 2.4 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 16.9 mg
