Leek and Spinach Pasta Gratin with Walnut Crumbs
Tender pasta, sweet leeks and spinach baked in a light vegetarian hard cheese sauce, with a crisp lemon-walnut lid instead of a heavy cheese topping.
Ingredients
Serves 4- 320grigatoni
- 3 tbspolive oil
- 500gleeks, trimmed, halved lengthways, washed well and thinly sliced
- 200gcourgette, coarsely grated
- 2garlic cloves, finely grated
- 200gbaby spinach
- 35gplain flour
- 650mlwhole milk
- 240gdrained cannellini beans (about 1 × 400g tin), rinsed
- 60gvegetarian hard cheese, finely grated
- 15mllemon juice
- 2gfinely grated lemon zest
- Fine salt
- Black pepper
- 50gwalnuts, finely chopped
- 50gfresh breadcrumbs
Method
- Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Put a large pan of salted water on to boil for the pasta, then lightly oil a 3-litre baking dish.
- Mix the walnuts, breadcrumbs, lemon zest, 20g of the vegetarian hard cheese and 1 tbsp olive oil in a bowl. Season with black pepper and set aside.
- Cook the rigatoni for 8 minutes until the outside is tender but the centre is still quite firm. Scoop out 250ml of the pasta water, then drain the pasta well.
- While the pasta cooks, heat the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil in a large deep frying pan over a medium heat. Add the leeks with a pinch of salt and cook for 10 minutes until soft, sweet and lightly golden at the edges.
- Stir in the courgette and garlic. Cook for 4 minutes until the courgette has collapsed and most of its moisture has cooked away, then add the spinach and cook for 2 minutes until wilted.
- Stir the flour through the vegetables for 1 minute until it looks dry and no longer powdery. Gradually pour in the milk, stirring constantly, then simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce is smooth and thick enough to coat a spoon.
- Stir in the crushed beans, the remaining 40g vegetarian hard cheese, lemon juice and plenty of black pepper. Fold in the rigatoni, loosening with enough reserved pasta water to make a glossy sauce that still flows around the pasta.
- Tip into the baking dish and scatter over the lemon walnut crumbs. Bake for 20 minutes until deeply golden on top and bubbling at the centre, then leave for 8 minutes until the sauce settles into the pasta.
Per serving
- kcal
- 700
- protein
- 26.4g
- fibre
- 11.3g
- carbs
- 91g
- fat
- 26.5g
Cook this in Chop it
Get the app to scan your fridge, plan the week, and shop in one tap.