Braised Leeks with Pappardelle & Parmesan

Name: Braised Leeks with Pappardelle & Parmesan
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 4 pieces Leeks (4 to 5 large leeks, white and light green parts only — up to 5); 3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil); 3 tbsp Water (3 tablespoons water); ⅓ cup White Wine (1/3 cup crisp white wine); 4 tbsp Unsalted Butter (4 tablespoons butter, cut into bits); 1 pinch Thyme (a few sprigs thyme); 2 tsp Kosher Salt (2 teaspoons kosher salt); 5 pieces Peppercorns (5 peppercorns, optional) — optional; 10 pieces Coriander Seed (10 coriander seeds, optional) — optional; 12 pieces Pasta (12-oz pasta, such as pappardelle); 0 pieces Parmigiano Reggiano (shaved Parmigiano Reggiano to taste); 0 pieces Black Pepper (freshly cracked black pepper to taste); 0 pieces Parsley (optional herbs: finely chopped parsley or chives, to taste (this is mostly for color)) — optional; 0 pieces Sea Salt (flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, to taste)

Braised Leeks with Pappardelle & Parmesan - Pasta (French)

60 minFrench

Servings4

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Vegetarian
Pescatarian
Egg Free

Ingredients

For 4 servings

Leeks4 pieces · 4 to 5 large leeks, white and light green parts only — up to 5
Extra Virgin Olive Oil3 tbsp · 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Water3 tbsp · 3 tablespoons water
White Wine⅓ cup · 1/3 cup crisp white wine
Unsalted Butter4 tbsp · 4 tablespoons butter, cut into bits
Thyme1 pinch · a few sprigs thyme
Kosher Salt2 tsp · 2 teaspoons kosher salt
Peppercorns5 pieces · 5 peppercorns, optional · optional
Coriander Seed10 pieces · 10 coriander seeds, optional · optional
Pasta12 pieces · 12-oz pasta, such as pappardelle
Parmigiano Reggiano0 pieces · shaved Parmigiano Reggiano to taste
Black Pepper0 pieces · freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Parsley0 pieces · optional herbs: finely chopped parsley or chives, to taste (this is mostly for color) · optional
Sea Salt0 pieces · flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, to taste

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Steps

1Heat oven to 325ºF. Trim the leeks of any roots. Slice each leek lengthwise through the bulb, then once more to make quarters — if you are only making the braised leeks, it’s OK to keep the leek end intact; if you are making the pasta, cut enough of the root off so that the leek does not stay intact (see notes above). Fill a large bowl with water and submerge the leeks in it. Swish them around and carefully bend the pieces, using your fingers to release any dirt trapped between the layer of the bulbs.
2Once clean, lift out the leeks, drain, and place in a snugly fitting roasting pan or Dutch oven — ideally something that can go on both the stovetop and oven if you plan on making the pasta — no more than two layers deep. If your leeks are extra long, cut them to fit.
3Add the remaining ingredients. Cover and place in the oven. Braise until the leeks have dulled in color and are quite tender to a knife, and bend and flex effortlessly, about 45 – 50 minutes. Taste for salt. Cool to room temperature before storing. Store in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for 3 months.
4Meanwhile, if making the pasta, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Cook pasta al dente (times will vary according to package). Reserve at least a cup of pasta cooking liquid — I like to transfer the noodles from the pot using my spider or tongs, thereby reserving all of the cooking liquid. The extra pasta cooking liquid is so nice to have on hand for heating up day-old pasta.
5Place the pan of braised leeks on the stovetop over low heat. Transfer the cooked noodles to the pan with the leeks and toss with tongs to combine. Add pasta cooking liquid as needed — I’ve been adding at least 1/2 cup. Shave parmesan to taste over top and season with fresh cracked pepper to taste as well. If you seasoned your pasta cooking liquid as directed, you should barely need any salt here, but taste, and adjust seasonings as desired.
6If using herbs, add them, and toss to coat. Serve, shaving more parmesan and cracking more pepper over each serving if desired.