Leeks With Sugar Snap Peas Recipes

LEEK RISOTTO WITH SUGAR SNAP PEAS AND PANCETTA

Steps:

• Add 1/2 tablespoon oil to a large, wide saucepan, and add the pancetta slices. (It's OK if they're not in one layer, as they will shrink quite a bit.) Turn heat to medium and cook, turning and rearranging the pancetta until lightly browned, crisp, and the fat has rendered, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer with tongs to a paper towel, leaving the fat in the pan.
• Add the stock and 1 cup water to a separate medium saucepan. Transfer the saucepan to a back burner and bring to a simmer over low. Keep warm on the lowest heat.
• Add 1 tablespoon oil to the pan that you cooked the pancetta in, and add the leeks, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, over medium-high until wilted and soft, about 5 minutes.
• Add the rice and cook, stirring, until grains look slightly translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add wine and cook until nearly absorbed, about 1 minute.
• Add a ladleful of stock to the rice - you want just enough to barely cover the surface of the rice. Cook at a lively simmer, stirring very frequently, until it's nearly absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes. Continue adding stock in this way until rice is very creamy, but still al dente, 15 to 20 minutes total. You may not need all of the liquid, but you will probably use most of it.
• Stir in the butter and cheese, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the snap peas. Add more of the remaining liquid if needed to loosen (it should be a bit soupy), and divide among four shallow bowls. Crumble the reserved pancetta over top, and sprinkle with chives, if desired.

PAPPARDELLE WITH LEEKS, SUGAR SNAP PEAS, AND LEMON

Steps:

• While bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil, melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add leeks and a pinch of salt; cook until leeks begin to soften and are bright in color, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until very tender, about 5 more minutes. Turn off heat. Finely grate zest of lemons directly into skillet, and season generously with pepper.
• When water boils, add sugar snap peas to boiling water, and cook until bright green, about 2 minutes. Transfer peas to a plate using a strainer.
• Add pasta to boiling water, and cook until just tender, about 4 minutes (do not drain water). Transfer pasta to skillet using the strainer. Add sugar snap peas. Gradually stir in 1 cup pasta water, about 1/2 cup at a time, alternating with ricotta and half the Pecorino and tossing until pasta is coated and sauce is creamy.
• Divide among 4 bowls, and top with remaining grated cheese.

SUGAR SNAP PEAS WITH LEEKS AND PANCETTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the peas and cook until bright green and crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and run under cold water until the peas cool to room temperature; pat dry. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the leek, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the leek is soft, about 3 more minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the peas and 1/2 teaspoon salt and toss. Add the vinegar, season with salt and pepper, and toss again. Serve at room temperature. Tip: Snap peas have tough strings on both sides of the pod. To remove them, pinch off the stem and pull the string; repeat on the other side.
• Serves: 6
• Calories: 113
• Total Fat: 5.5 grams
• Saturated Fat: 1 gram
• Protein: 5 grams
• Total carbohydrates: 11 grams
• Sugar: 5 grams
• Fiber: 3 grams
• Cholesterol: 8 milligrams
• Sodium: 290 milligrams

CHILLED SUGAR SNAP PEA SOUP

Steps:

• Pour olive oil into a large pot, set over medium heat, and add leeks to hot oil. Season leeks with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until leeks are soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Pour chicken broth into leeks; bring to a boil. Season with black pepper and cayenne pepper.
• Stir peas into boiling broth mixture and add 2 mint leaves. Bring back to a boil and cook until peas are bright green and have started to soften, 5 to 6 minutes.
• Turn off heat; use a slotted spoon to transfer vegetables into a large blender, leaving liquid in pot. Pour half the liquid from the pot into the blender, place a folded towel on the blender lid, and pulse a few times to chop vegetables. Blend at high speed to puree vegetables. Add remaining liquid from pot to blender and liquefy the soup until smooth.
• Pour soup from blender into a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl and use a spatula to push soup through the strainer, leaving the tough fibrous material behind.
• Cool soup to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, about 3 hours.
• Season cold soup with salt and adjust cayenne pepper. Ladle soup into a serving bowl. Spoon creme fraiche into a plastic squeeze bottle and squeeze the creme fraiche over the top of the soup in a loose spiral. Use a skewer to pull the spiral into flower petal shapes, starting from the middle and quickly pulling the skewer through the creme to make pointed petal shapes. Serve garnished with strips of fresh mint.