Creamy Leek Pasta Sauce: A Delicious Twist on a Classic

JANUARY 2023

Leeks: they look kind of like celery and taste like onions. So how on earth do you use them?

Enter: my newly-discovered leek pasta sauce.

I love cooking with leeks because they create a slight creaminess when sautéed thoroughly and bring a subtle sweetness to any dish. They are part of the Allium family, along with garlic, onion, chives, scallions, and shallots. Because their texture and taste resemble those of an onion, we will actually replacing onion altogether. Enjoy!

Recipe

Prep time: 25 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 55 mins

 Ingredients (yields 2-3 servings):

— 1 leek stalk

— 2 large cloves garlic

— 2 tbsp of olive oil

— 2 handfuls spinach

— 2.5 cups of your favourite pasta sauce

— 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

— S&P to taste

— Optional but recommended: feta to top

Method:

01. Mince garlic and set aside.

02. Cut off the dark leaves of the leek and discard.

03. Slice the entire light green leek section in half, lengthwise, and chop into 1/2” pieces. Add to colander and rinse thoroughly. Set aside.

04. Tear and rinse spinach thoroughly. Set aside.

05. Heat olive oil in pan on medium heat for 2 mins.

06. Add leeks into pan and sauté for 6 mins.

07. Add garlic into pan and sauté with leek for about 10 mins, or until leek starts to cook down.

08. Pour tomato sauce into pan and stir for 2 mins. Add lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.

09. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 10 mins with lid on.

10. Toss in spinach and stir until wilted.

11. Adjust flavour as desired (I add more lemon, S&P, and a dash of olive oil for some creaminess).

12. Serve with pasta of choice. Top with feta if using.

Notes:

— Store-bought pasta sauce works well in this recipe (I like Rao’s and Kirkland) and plain canned tomatoes will work, too. If you don’t have the amount of sauce I recommend, use what you have and add water to get the saucy consistency.

— At steps 06/07, you can add water into pan to prevent burning/sticking, about 2 tbsp each time. This will likely cause a lot of steam so ensure that the stove fan is on. 

— At step 09, you can add water to thin the sauce out for desired texture.