Sometimes the very best dinners are the simplest ones.

This three cornered leek and ricotta pasta is exactly that: a quick, creamy bowl of pasta that comes together in about 15 minutes and tastes absolutely wonderful.

The ricotta creates a soft, creamy sauce, while the three cornered leek brings a delicate garlicky flavour that runs all the way through the dish.

It’s light, fresh and comforting all at once – the kind of meal you’ll find yourself making again and again when you want something quick and satisfying!

And the best part? It’s incredibly simple.

Just pasta, ricotta, crème fraîche and three cornered leek. That’s it.

If you enjoy quick pasta dishes like this, you might also like to browse my 15 minute recipes or explore more easy pasta recipes for dinner inspiration.

A Note About Foraging

In the UK, three cornered leek is actually considered an invasive species – it spreads rapidly and can quickly take over woodland areas.

Because of this, it’s an offence to intentionally cause it to grow in the wild – but harvesting it is absolutely fine. So if you happen to come across a patch while out walking, picking some for dinner is actually doing nature a small favour!

Of course, as with any foraging, never eat a plant unless you are absolutely certain of its identification. If you’re unsure, always check with an expert before consuming it.

Why This Pasta Works So Well

The beauty of this dish lies in its simplicity.

Three cornered leek has a gentle garlicky flavour that isn’t overpowering, so it works beautifully with mild cheeses like ricotta.

The ricotta creates a creamy base for the sauce, while the crème fraîche adds just a little extra richness and helps loosen everything into a silky coating for the pasta.

And because the three cornered leek wilts so quickly, the whole dish comes together in about the same time it takes to cook the pasta.

Which makes it absolutely perfect for a busy evening when you want dinner on the table quickly!

The Ingredients

• Pasta – use any dried pasta shape you wish. I like penne with this recipe.
• Ricotta – ricotta cheese works well with three cornered leek because it’s so mild. It allows the three cornered leek flavour to sing through while providing that gentle, creamy background.
• Creme fraiche – this is really used for texture here, to add a touch of creaminess to the sauce. I use full fat rather than reduced fat creme fraiche.
• Three cornered leek – for this recipe, we only use the leaves of the plant (though you can use the flowers as a garnish like I have). You can use the other parts of the plant to make a really tasty pesto if you like – just whizz them up with olive oil, garlic and pine nuts.

How This Becomes a Creamy Pasta Sauce

The secret to this recipe is pasta water!

When you drain the pasta, reserve a cup of the cooking water before returning the pasta to the pan.

Pasta water contains starch from the pasta, which helps emulsify the ricotta and crème fraîche into a smooth sauce. As the cheese melts into the pasta water, it creates a silky coating that clings to the pasta perfectly.

It’s one of the simplest pasta sauce tricks – and once you know it, you’ll use it all the time.

Substitutions If You Can’t Find Three Cornered Leek

Three cornered leek is lovely, but it’s not something most supermarkets sell.

The good news is that this recipe works beautifully with other ingredients too.

You could substitute:

• wild garlic
• spring onions
• young leeks
• chives

All will give you a similar fresh oniony flavour.

Top Tips

1. When you are picking the three cornered leek, pull out the entire plant, including the bulb. Then trim off the bits you need. As mentioned above, you can use the extras to make pesto.
2. As with any foraged plant, give it a really good wash under running cold water before you use it.
3. You can make this pasta in advance and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days – it’s perfect for lunch prep. You can eat it hot or cold.