This 30-minute plant-based meal features long noodles combined with melty leeks. It is slightly sweet, earthy, and definitely spot-on in flavor! If you are looking for a healthy, quick, and comforting pasta recipe, you should definitely try this one!
🥣 How to Make Melted Leeks Pasta
Melting the Leeks
This recipe is pretty straightforward. First, sauté minced onions until soft and golden brown. Next, add sliced leeks and sauté for one more minute, just to give them some coloration.
To prevent the leeks from sticking to the skillet, deglaze with water and cover. At this point, you want to cook the leeks for 20-25 minutes over low-medium heat, until they melt and become very tender.
Adding the Pasta
Once the leeks are perfectly tender, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain, add to the melted leeks, and stir to coat.
It is that simple!
💬 FAQ
- Which type of pasta should I use? Any long noodles like fettuccine, linguine, or spaghetti!
- How to make leek pasta creamier? While we don't believe it's needed at all, you can stir in half a cup of your favorite plant-based cream (cashew cream for example), at the end of cooking for a richer and creamier consistency.
- What to serve with this leek pasta? It's delicious on its own! For a more complete meal, you could serve it with baked or sautéed tofu, or vegan steaks.
- How long does this leek pasta keep? It will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in a non-stick skillet over medium heat, and add 1-2 tablespoons of water if it starts to stick to the bottom of the pan.
📔 Tips
- Keep an eye on the leeks during cooking as they tend to brown very quickly. If the leeks start to stick to the bottom of the skillet, add a couple of tablespoons of water.
- For extra flavor, top with with more ground black pepper and chopped parsley or cilantro. You could also add a generous sprinkle of vegan parmesan!
- Consider doubling the recipe! This pasta dish saves pretty well, so if you want leftovers for the next day, we highly recommend making a double batch.
- Feel free to use gluten-free pasta or rice noodles to make this recipe gluten-free.
I hope you will love this pasta dish! It comes together in no time, requires just 5 ingredients, and is so comforting!
More Plant-Based Pasta Recipes
Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe!
📖 Recipe
Easy Leek Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoon oil
- 1 teaspoon vegan butter
- ½ onion minced
- 3 leeks
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ cup water
- 4 ounces dry pasta fettuccine or spaguetti
Instructions
- Heat the oil and vegan butter in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the minced onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes, or until soft and golden brown.
- Slice the leeks in half lengthwise and rinse well under cold water. Cut the leeks into ½-inch slices. Add the sliced leeks to the skillet and season with salt and ground black pepper. Sauté for 1-2 minutes.
- Next, add the water and cook covered over medium heat for about 25 minutes, or until leeks have melted and are very tender. Keep an eye on it to make sure they don't burn. If they start to stick to the bottom of the skillet, add a couple of tablespoons of water.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package instructions*. Drain and add the cooked pasta to the skillet. Stir to coat with the melted leaks. Sauté for one more minute. Taste and adjust saltiness if needed (I ended up adding another ⅛ teaspoon of salt), and serve immediately!
- This leek pasta will keep for up to 2 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in a non-stick skillet over medium heat.
Leeks always look so beautiful, but I've never quite known how to use them except in a soup, maybe an omlet. This looks great. Thank you.
Thanks Janet! 🙂