Creamy Leek Spinach Pasta Recipes

CHEESY LEEK & SPINACH PASTA

Steps:

• Melt the butter with the oil in a large pan, tip in the leeks and splash in a little hot water. Cover and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until no longer squeaky.
• While the leeks are cooking, boil the penne in salted water according to the packet instructions. Meanwhile, tip the crème fraîche, sundried tomatoes and mustard into the leeks, add three-quarters of the cheese and season well. Stir until the cheese melts. Take off the heat.
• Drain the pasta, reserving the cooking water. Tip the pasta into the sauce and stir, adding enough cooking water to make the sauce coat the pasta. Stir in the spinach, a big handful at a time, until it wilts, splashing in a little more water if needed. Toss in the remaining cheese and serve.

FRESH LEEK AND SPINACH PASTA

Steps:

• Slice up the light green sections of the leeks. Use as much as possible, it will cook down quite a bit! Put into a colander and rinse the sand/dirt off.
• Slice the red pepper into long thin slices.
• I get these nice little stuffed peppers from the deli/olive bar. Squeeze the cream cheese out and set aside. Cut the hot pepper into small bits (~ 1/2 cm x 1/2 cm).
• Get enough water into one pot for the pasta and start bringing to a boil. (Add salt to water and pasta once it's boiling).
• In the meantime, heat a nonstick fry pan (that will be large enough for the full 2 servings of pasta) over med-high heat.
• Add olive oil to the pan and heat.
• Add the leeks and red pepper. Saute for about 3 minutes.
• Add the hot pepper. Saute another 5 minutes. The leeks should just start to brown (but don't burn them!).
• While sauteeing, add the spinach to the colander and rinse.
• Toss the sun-dried tomatoes and the olives in with the leeks. (If adding meatless sausage or tuna, this would be a good time to add it, too).
• Reduce the heat to med-low and saute for another couple of minutes.
• Add the reserved cream cheese and mix all together. Add the tomatoes.
• Once the pasta is cooked, pour gently over the spinach and drain.
• Crumble the feta cheese into the vegetables.
• Add half pasta to pan. Add pesto and stir.
• Add rest of pasta/spinach to pan. (If I'm not using pesto, I usually drizzle another tbsp of olive oil in at this point).
• Adjust to low heat. Cover and heat for 2 minutes.
• Stir everything together and serve.