Leek Pasta Bake

Make this Vegetarian Leek Pasta Bake Recipe by following the below stages.

Stage 1

Cut the leeks into 1cm slices before putting them into a wide, heavy-based saucepan, one that has a tight-fitting lid. Add the white wine and water and salt — the leeks should be just covered — then put on the lid and bring to the boil. Once they are bubbling, keep them covered (you will need the cooking liquid later, so you don’t want it to evaporate) and cook until soft and no longer squeaky, about 10 minutes. About 5 minutes in, it’s a good idea to take the lid off briefly and give a robust stir or two to help the rounds of leek unfurl a bit.

Stage 2

Drain the leeks and set aside, reserving their cooking water. I do this by sitting a large sieve over a wide-necked measuring jug; you should have about 500ml-worth. Add the milk to this leek-cooking-liquor, and if it doesn’t make the liquid come up to the 1-litre mark, just top it up with a little more milk. This might be a good moment to put the pasta water on to boil.

Make sure there isn’t any stray leek left in the pan, and then melt the butter in it over a medium heat. Add the flour and mustard, and whisk to form a roux, then cook, whisking, for 1–2 minutes or so until the bubbling mixture thickens a bit.

Take the pan off the heat, and then gradually pour in the milky-leek liquor, making sure you keep whisking to incorporate the liquid and to get rid of any lumps.

Once all the liquid is added, put the pan back on a medium heat, and — swapping your whisk for a wooden spoon or spatula — cook it, stirring all the while with the spoon or spatula, until the sauce is thick, smooth and has lost its floury taste. This will take about 10 minutes.

Once the white sauce is thickened, turn the flame off under the pan and, using your wooden spoon or spatula, beat in the Pecorino and 225g of the Cheddar, seasoning with pepper to taste, making sure the cheeses are fully incorporated, before stirring in the leeks. Take off the heat and cover.

Stage 3

When your pan of pasta water has come to the boil, salt to taste, then add the pasta and cook until rather more al dente then you’d normally want it. Reserve a couple of cups of the pasta water before you drain it.

Beat half a cupful (125ml) of the pasta cooking water into the sauce and then pour half of the sauce into a lasagne dish of about 27 x 37cm or a roasting tin of similar dimensions. Tip in the drained pasta, then pour the remaining sauce over this and stir gently to make sure all is mixed together. Add more pasta water if needed; you’ll want this quite runny as it will thicken both on standing and baking. Let this stand for 10 minutes (or leave to cool and then refrigerate for up to 3 days, making sure it comes back to room temperature before baking).

Stage 4

When you’re ready to bake this Leek Pasta Bake, preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 7. Sprinkle the remaining 75g grated Cheddar over the top of the pasta and bake in the hot oven for about 20–25 minutes, or until bubbly and golden on top. Check it is hot all the way through by inserting the tip of a knife into the centre. It should come out feeling hot. If you want the top crusty and burnished, place under a hot grill for a couple of minutes, keeping a careful eye on it. Or just leave it for longer in the hot oven. Let it stand out of the oven for 10–20 minutes before serving.

I originally came across this style of dish via a recipe by Nigella Lawson, but she doesn’t seem to have anything like this on her website anymore. If you liked this Leek Pasta Bake recipe, why not check out a few more recipes.

This Leek Pasta Bake Recipe can be made up to 3 days ahead. Cool, cover and refrigerate within 2 hours of making. Allow to come to room temperature (about 30 minutes) before baking.