Fusilli with Creamy Leek Sauce

• Recipe by Shelley Lindgren

This light pasta in a bright, lemon-flavored leek sauce is adapted from a recipe by Jessica Lasky, an instructor at San Francisco’s Tante Marie’s Cooking School (where Shelley also teaches). Shelley serves the fusilli family-style as an accompaniment to seared salmon fillets or roasted pork loin.

Ingredients

1. 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2. 6 medium leeks, white parts only, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
3. 1/2 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth
4. 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
5. 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
6. 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley leaves
7. Salt and freshly ground pepper
8. 1 pound fusilli
9. 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. In a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the leeks and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and just beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock, lemon juice, lemon zest and parsley and bring to a boil. Transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Meanwhile, add salt to the pot of boiling water. Add the pasta and cook until it’s almost al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot.
3. Add the leek sauce and the reserved cooking water to the pasta and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente and coated with a thick sauce, about 3 minutes. Stir in the 1/2 cup of cheese and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, passing additional cheese at the table.

Make Ahead

The leek sauce can be refrigerated overnight.