I do not often make recipes that I find in magazines, but Real Simple, the only magazine to which I actually subscribe, published a delicious looking recipe (which you can find here) in this month's issue. I purchased the ingredients to make said recipe this weekend, and was planning to make it Wednesday, but when I came home from work this evening, I found myself to be an exhausted but ravenous food beast. (For serious. Teaching high school will take it right out of you.) I could no longer resist this leeky, garlicky culinary mess. Upon looking in the fridge, I discovered that I was missing about half the ingredients, but alas, the food must go on. With a little editing, here is my version of the recipe.
Leeky Garlicky Pasta (with or without fried chicken)
Ingredients:
As much spaghetti as you are planning to eat (or more, for leftovers)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 leek (just the tender portions), thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed or thinly sliced
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine (I used Sutter Home Chardonnay)
1/2 cup heavy cream, whole milk, or evaporated milk, whichever is handy
One handful of greenery (I used marketside organic herb mix)
Grated parmesan cheese
Cut up your ingredients according to the ingredient list.
Get your pasta rolling so that it will be ready on time.
Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in whatever big pan with sides is available to you.
Add the leeks and garlic, and sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Saute until wilty (about three minutes).
Add the wine and simmer for a few more minutes. Stir in the milk product of your choice.
Stir in the pasta. Fold in the greenery. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and cheese. Enjoy!
If you are like me, a vegetarian meal like this one will not satisfy on its own, so I made the chicken found in this recipe (from my absolute favorite food blog) to top my pasta.
My dinner came out quite nicely.
The only drawback is the kind of breath a dish like this will give you, but if you are eating alone it is not a problem!
I am considering this cake for dessert.
