Pasta with Fried Leeks and Peas

This lemony pasta with leeks and peas is a light and easy one-pan meal. Comes together in just 30 minutes!

For internal purposes only, I refer to this dish as “quarantine pasta”. A year ago, when we were all shut up in our homes – somewhat clueless and fully terrified – many of us (Rene and I included) turned to starchy foods for comfort and solace. And I’m not a psychologist or anything, but this unorthodox therapy definitely worked. (Well, in the short term, anyway.)

This pasta with leeks and peas unintentionally became our signature lockdown dinner. I turned to this stupidly easy meal – which was initially just a weeknight improvisation to use up leftover leeks – whenever preparing three meals a day got to be too much (yes, even for a recipe developer).

This unfussy dish calls for just a handful of ingredients and is fun to eat in large quantities when you’re watching hours and hours of Netflix every night to escape the uncertainty of your own miserable life… Let’s jump in!

What’s In This Vegan Leek Pasta

Besides oil, salt, and pepper, this dish literally calls for just 5 ingredients! Leeks, frozen peas, nutritional yeast, lemon, and of course, pasta.

While you wait for water to boil for the pasta, you cook leeks in plenty of olive oil; the white parts get all soft and creamy, while the green parts get brown and crispy. The leeks are then joined by peas, lemon zest, nutritional yeast, cooked pasta, and some of the pasta cooking water. The result is a delicious but light pasta coated in savory leeks and black pepper, with a lemony note in the background. Nutritional yeast adds a “cheesy” vibe and the pasta water binds everything into a silky mess – no cream needed.

How to Clean Leeks

If leeks are new to you, don’t stress. They’re basically a large onion-scallion hybrid with a grassy floral taste and crunchy texture. Just like onions, you can eat them cooked or raw, and eat both the green and white parts. One thing you’ll notice about leeks is how much sand they house between their layers. To clean the leek for this recipe:

• Trim: Trim the root end, as well as a few inches off the dark green portion – just the part that looks bruised/dry. (You can save these to make scrap broth.)
• Slice: Slice the stalk in half lengthwise and cut the leeks into thin half-moons.
• Rinse: Place the leeks in a big bowl of water and swirl them around with your hands to release all the dirt.
• Repeat: Lift the leeks out of the water and place back onto your cutting board. If the water is really dirty, repeat the process once or twice.

Pasta with Leeks and Peas, Step-by-Step

Brown the Leeks: Start by bringing a large pot of water to a boil. While you wait, saute the leeks (white and green parts) in olive oil until they’re soft and brown.

Add the Peas: Add frozen peas to the leeks and cook until they’re defrosted and bright green – about 1 minute.

Cook the Pasta: Generously salt the boiling water and cook it according to package directions until al dente. Before draining, scoop out some of the starchy water and set it aside.

Finish the Pasta: Add the drained pasta to the skillet with the leeks, along with the reserved pasta water, nutritional yeast, lemon zest, and a bit more olive oil. Toss to combine and serve immediately.

More pasta recipes…

• Basil-Spinach Pesto Pasta
• Vegan Vodka Sauce Pasta
• Lemony Cauliflower Pasta with Fried Breadcrumbs
• Tempeh Bolognese

Let me know if you try this recipe! Give it a rating below and leave a comment, and don’t forget to tag your creation with @thenewbaguette on Instagram.

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