Melted Leek Pasta with Lemon-Dill Breadcrumbs
★★★☆☆
Ingredients
- 12 ounces spaghetti
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup sliced raw almonds, lightly crushed
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
- 1¼ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 3 leeks (white and light green parts only), thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic (about 1 large clove)
- ¾ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups chicken broth
- 1½ ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 6 tablespoons)
Instructions
- 1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add spaghetti, and cook according to package directions for al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking liquid, and drain pasta. Set aside.
- 2. Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add panko and almonds; cook, stirring often, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl; stir in dill, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Set aside. Wipe skillet clean.
- 3. Melt remaining ¼ cup butter in skillet over medium heat. Add leeks; cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft and golden at the edges, 12 to 15 minutes. Add garlic, crushed red pepper, remaining 1 teaspoon lemon zest, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in flour; cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Gradually add broth, stirring constantly. Bring to a simmer over medium heat; simmer until slightly reduced and thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
- 4. Reduce heat to low; add reserved drained pasta and ¼ cup pasta cooking liquid, tossing to coat. Cook, stirring constantly, until a creamy sauce forms and coats pasta, 2 to 3 minutes. (Gradually stir in remaining cooking liquid, ¼ cup at a time, as needed to reach desired consistency.) Remove from heat; stir in Parmesan and lemon juice until combined.
- 5. Divide pasta evenly among 4 bowls; sprinkle evenly with reserved panko mixture. Garnish with dill, and serve immediately.
Toast the panko and almonds up to one week in advance, and store (before adding the dill and lemon zest) in an airtight container at room temperature. You can also combine everything together — including the dill and zest — and freeze for up to one month. The key to this dish is cooking the leeks slowly until they become sweet and jammy, which takes patience but creates incredible depth of flavor.
Wine Pairing: Medium White