Pancetta & Leeks

This month has been foodie month. What with 3 family birthdays, The Super Bowl, Lunar New Year, Mardi Gras, and the Oscars, there have been ample opportunities for cooking. This past weekend, we celebrated the birthdays of my son, and my mother and father. So, yes, a special meal was in order. I am a notorious planner and also have a penchant for regionally themed meals. Usually, everything flows from soup to nuts. However, along with all of these extravaganza events has come a certain level of excess. I discussed with El Syd (formerly referred to as The Husband - yes, a blog-worthy moniker has been agreed upon) all of my ideas and then discussed it more with Mama, and finally just decided on a simple pasta dish and a decadent dessert. No rhyme, no reason, no theme. The main dish, Pancetta and Leeks over Homemade Fettuccine (yes, I will discuss that whole process, soon - I promise.) was truly simple and mirrored the hint at Spring with which Mother Nature has been teasing us (Here, in Texas, that is.) The saltiness of the pancetta was the perfect foil for the natural sweetness and creaminess of the leeks. Leeks might just be my new favorite underutilized vegetable. They have just that hint of onion flavor without any of the strong and overpowering zing of onions. Due to their rather fibrous nature, when cooked thoroughly, they are silky and creamy. Just so wonderful.

Pancetta and Leeks over Fettuccine (inspired by bon appetit magazine)

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1/4 lb pancetta, thickly sliced and cut into ~1/2" pieces
• 2 medium leeks, white & pale-green parts only, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise into half circles (see note)
• 3/4 C heavy cream
• 2 Tsp. chopped thyme(fresh)
• 1 lb fettuccine
• 1 C finely grated Parmesan cheese 

Pancetta & Leeks in oil and butter

Following the addition of the cream

1. Before starting sauce, begin to cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 2 cups of cooking liquid. While the pasta is getting going, you can start the sauce so that both are ready at about the same time.
2. Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over med. heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring often, until the fat is rendered and the pancetta is crispy (around 5-6 minutes.) 
3. Add leeks and season with salt. Increase heat and cook, stirring often. Continue until leeks begin to brown (another 5-6 minutes.)
4. Add the cream and thyme, and 1/2 C water. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer/thicken about 5-8 minutes more. (Sauce should cling to your spoon a bit.)
5. Add sauce, parmesan, and 1 cup of the cooking liquid to pasta and stir to coat the pasta. Add more cooking liquid as needed to make sure the sauce coats the pasta. (Don't add too much of the cooking water - just until the pasta is well coated. I only needed 1 cup)
6. Serve and enjoy.

Note: Leeks tend to be very good at hiding tiny bits of dirt and sand in their tight layers. For best results, split lengthwise, then cut cross-wise into half-circles or "c's" and then use a colander or sieve to hold the leek pieces while you rinse well with water- making sure to clean all of the sand/dirt off.

Happy Cooking!

sld

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