Fennel, Leek and Mushroom Pasta

Fennel leek and mushroom pasta top view

Sometimes, there’s nothing better than a nice big pan of pasta in a light, creamy sauce – and that’s what we have here. This fennel, leek and mushroom pasta is a delicious, vegetarian option for dinner on a weeknight.

Leeks are one of my favourite vegetables. I love their fresh, slightly fragrant flavour. So, along with my Anglesey Eggs last night, I wanted to produce a few recipes which would celebrate this wonderful, underrated vegetable which somehow manages to cheer up the winter months.

This is a moreish, creamy pasta dish which I’m sure you’ll love. It’s completely vegetarian, ready in 20 minutes and warming on a cold, biting day (it’s supposed to warm up by Saturday apparently, but for now the Winter seems to be clinging on…).

This will serve 5-6.

Best made in a nice big casserole dish like this one.

Ingredients, Substitutions and Variations

  • Fresh penne – penne is the perfect shape for this chunky vegetable sauce. You can use fresh (my preference) or dried.
  • Butter – leeks and butter go together perfectly, so it’s the best fat to use to start the cooking process. However, you can switch for olive oil.
  • Onion, leeks, fennel and mushrooms – these are your vegetables for the dish. You can switch the type of mushrooms if you like – chestnut would be nice.
  • Crème fraiche – crème fraiche is all you need to make that creamy sauce.
  • Oregano – earthy, fragrant oregano is the perfect herb for this recipe.

Top tips

  1. Deglaze

    If you like, you can deglaze the vegetables with a little white wine before adding the crème fraiche. Simply pour a small glass of white wine into the pan, let it reduce by half, then add the crème fraiche.

  2. Additions

    You could add some cheese to this recipe – both halloumi and feta would work nicely.

  3. Make ahead

    This fennel, leek and mushroom pasta is absolutely wonderful for lunches through the week. Simply store in the fridge and microwave your portion for 3 minutes before eating.

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Fennel leek and mushroom pasta top view

Fennel, Leek and Mushroom Pasta

Save This Recipe
Harriet Young
This easy, vegetarian pasta dish with fennel, leek and mushrooms is creamy, comforting and delicious!
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 5 People

Ingredients
  

  • 500 g fresh penne or dried equivalent
  • 10 g butter
  • 1 onion
  • 3 medium leeks
  • 1 fennel bulb
  • 200 g button mushrooms
  • 200 ml creme fraiche
  • 1 tsp dried oregano

Instructions
 

  • Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling water until al dente. Drain.
  • Meanwhile, slice the onion, leeks and fennel. Add to a large saute pan with the butter and cook for 10 minutes until softened. Halve the mushrooms and add these – cook for a further 5 minutes.
  • Stir in the creme fraiche and 200ml water. Add the oregano, bring to a simmer then season with salt and pepper.
  • Mix the sauce with the pasta and leave to sit for 2 minutes. Enjoy!
Keyword fennel, leeks, mushroom, pasta

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24 responses to “Fennel, Leek and Mushroom Pasta”

  1. Why do people post reviews on recipes that they haven’t even tried. There is not one review on here that reviews anything other than what it looks like. I don’t get it.

  2. […] about this gorgeous looking fennel, leek & mushroom penne, from Harriet at What To Have For Dinner Tonight. I love […]

  3. This looks delicious! Thanks for joining in with Pasta Please 😀

  4. Thanks for stopping by n liking the post… ur recipes are really nice n easy

  5. Thanks for this recipe! It looks delicious 😉 Friday I went to the Italian restaurant and I was disappointed so now thanks to your blog I can cook penne al dente at home <3

  6. I’ve enjoyed cooking with leeks before but definitely need to find more ways to incorporate them into my meals. Just noticed your potato and leek soup I need to go check out too. Thanks for sharing!!

  7. Beautifully photographed! I love the lighting. Also, it makes me want to have a big bowl of pasta right NOW 🙂

  8. I’m a big fan of leeks too. This pasta sounds scrumptious and I like the inclusion of fennel.

  9. loverofcreatingflavours

    This looks delicious, I adore all the ingredients and i’m sure they’re a fabulous combination. I’m going to try it.

  10. This looks great! I also love using mushrooms for vegetarian dishes, due to their “meaty” texture.

  11. I love leeks AND fennel! I think I am getting both in my delivery this week!!

  12. Looks delicious! I love leeks too. Unlike most who like the leek soup, I like them sauteed with other vegetables, especially pumpkins or squash. This looks like something I would really like. Thanks!

  13. My family loves pasta. This is definitely a dish I would make for them. Yum!

  14. I’m a sucker for pasta dishes, and this one looks delicious! Sweet and simple, too 🙂

  15. Oh yum! That is my kind of dish. How delicious. Do link up and add your recipe to this month’s Pasta Please http://family-friends-food.com/pasta-please-springtime-recipes/

    1. Just did, thanks very much 🙂

  16. Well I was going to go to my favorite Italian Restaurant tonight. Not now! Looks wonderful.

  17. Wow I love this pasta recipe, it looks delicious, love the ingredints!

  18. Oh I agree! Leeks are one of my favourites too. Indeed,they have been a very controversial addition to my Scouse recipe that I posted today. I have emails and texts about it ha! This pasta dish looks lovely as always x

    1. Ooh, you are brave making changes to Scouse! x

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Hi there!

I’m Harriet, writer and cook, and I’m so pleased to have you here! I love nothing more than cooking delicious food and sharing it with the world. You can find out more about me here.