Going from Winter to Spring I always find myself craving comfort foods but with more fresh ingredients; that is exactly where this Leek and Pancetta Pasta comes in.

Leeks are one of my favourite vegetables during Spring season because of their versatility. When sautéed in olive oil and butter, leeks bring a beautiful flavour to this simple pasta and go wonderfully with the salty pancetta. It’s a match made in pasta heaven!

This pasta was inspired by my love for carbonara, a richer pasta that we like to enjoy in the Winter.

I wanted to create a dish with similar flavours but just a tad lighter for the Spring season which is exactly what this Leek and Pancetta Pasta is.

So, I used pancetta which is an Italian bacon that is salt-cured and it’s a great flavour-builder when accompanied by the leeks. Just a couple of other simple ingredients including olive oil, butter, garlic, tagliatelle pasta, white wine and parmesan cheese, you get a delicious pasta that comes together very easily!

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Leek and Pancetta Pasta

This Leek & Pancetta Pasta is a light and comforting pasta dish, perfect for the Spring season.

Course dinner

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Jess

Ingredients

• 340 g dried egg tagliatelle pasta substitute fettuccine or linguini noodles
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp butter
• 200 g sliced pancetta (quarter-inch slices), diced into cubes substitute with thick-cut bacon if needed
• 2 cups chopped leeks discard dark green and tough stems
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup white wine a pinot grigio works well
• 1/2 cup pasta water
• 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• parsley for garnish
• extra grated parmesan cheese for topping

Instructions

• In a large pot of water (salted well), cook the pasta according to package directions, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water before draining the pasta.
• In high-sided frying pan, melt oil and butter over medium heat. Once melted, add in pancetta and cook until golden brown and crispy, about 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add garlic and leeks to the frying pan, cooking 6-8 minutes until leeks are softened.
• Add wine, a couple good turns of pepper and pinches of coarse salt, stir and bring to a simmer for 2 minutes.
• Turn the heat to low and stir in noodles, pasta water and parmesan cheese, stirring well to combine. Taste and add more salt and pepper to your liking. Serve with more parmesan and parsley to garnish.

This is a lovely pasta for a weeknight dinner, date night at home or to enjoy when you have guests over.

This Leek and Pancetta Pasta is sure to become a go-to favourite for the Spring season and beyond!

Looking for more Spring pasta inspiration? Check out my Delicious Shrimp Pasta

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

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