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
- 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.
- Additions
You could add some cheese to this recipe – both halloumi and feta would work nicely.
- 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
Save This RecipeIngredients
- 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!
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