From the April 2007 issue of Real Simple magazine.
(I actually cooked this on Sunday.)
Ingredients:
4 leeks (didn't read the recipe thoroughly so only bought 2, which worked out fine)
10 oz frozen peas (though if you can get fresh it's highly recommended; I used Trader Joe's frozen petite peas which were yummy)
2 minced garlic cloves
olive oil (which I skipped; you'll see why on the bottom)
.5 tsp kosher salt
.5 tsp black pepper
.75 c heavy cream
1 cup grated Pecorino (I found "Romano" at my local Safeway and had to keep my fingers crossed that they were the same thing)
2 t lemon zest
.25 c mint leaves
1 lb orecchiette (ear pasta?) or other short pasta, cooked according to package directions
I added 4 oz of bacon--I live with a carnivore who constantly asks where the meat is in what I cook...it makes the recipe seem like Pasta Alla Carbonara, but the resemblance is very slight.
I browned the bacon and when it crisped up I scooped it out and fried the leeks in the bacon fat with the salt & pepper till they wilted. In went the garlic and peas for another 2 minutes, then the cream and cheese, then everything simmered for 4 minutes. I put the cooked pasta in with the sauce, tossed a few times and served with more cheese and crunchy bacon.
(I was too cheap to buy mint leaves and a lemon...I think the recipe worked well without them, though.)
Meal was well-received. Teo preferred the orecchiette on his head (I guess it does look like a hat) so I'd tear them in half to make it easier for him to manage. I worried that the Pecorino was too strong for him but if I do this recipe with parmesan in the future I don't know that the mesh of flavors will be the same.
The taste of leeks was absolutely lovely. Milder than onion but still very distinct and yummy.
No comments:
Post a Comment