Capture the flavors of summer with this lemon leek pasta recipe.
Today, I cleaned out my fridge. In the produce crisper, I found three sad little leeks that were nearly past their usefulness. I needed a tasty leek recipe, and fast.
A quick internet search and I stumbled upon this leek & lemon linguine recipe from EatingWell.
Of course, I’ve never left a recipe as I found it. Below, you’ll find my take on lemony leek pasta. Don’t forget to check out my Instagram reel of this recipe!
Dairy-Free Lemony Leek Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 oz pasta
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1 medium leek, sliced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
- 1 tbsp garlic, chopped
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup dairy-free parmesan, plus extra
Instructions
- Boil the pasta according to package instructions. Retain about 1 cup of the pasta water before draining.Tip: You can use any type of wheat-based pasta; I like to use spaghetti. But the water from gluten-free pasta will not thicken to form the sauce in a later step. If you need to use gluten-free pasta, stir in 1/4 tbsp arrowroot powder when adding the water to the vegetables.
- Grate the zest from 1 lemon.
- Slice the leek. Place the slices in a bowl of water and separate the rings. Then, drain and rinse under running water in a strainer. Don't skimp on washing your leek! Otherwise, you may end up with gritty pasta.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the leek, lemon zest, 1/4 cup parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 6 minutes.
- Add the pasta, pasta water, lemon juice, and remaining parsely to the pan and continue to cook for 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in the cheese. Tip: Allow the pasta to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving. This will allow the sauce to thicken.
- Serve with additional paramesan or a melted slice of dairy-free cheese on top.
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One part Lois Lane, one part Jimmy Olsen, one part Johnboy Walton, and a bit of that Clark Kent secret identity thing thrown in for good measure.
Cara Siera is a freelance writer and photographer with a passion for travel and exotic cuisine. Join Cara, her husband Marc, and one very spoiled German Shepherd on their next great adventure.