Spaghetti with Creamy Wild Leek Pesto

By exdircomp

Ingredients

• 3 oz. slab bacon or regular bacon, cut into small dice
• 2 oz. wild leeks = about 10 to 12
• 2 teaspoons neutral oil such as safflower or canola
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1/4 grated parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 lb. dried spaghetti

Preparation

Step 1

1.Heat a skillet or large saucepan on medium-high heat and add bacon. Cook until cubes are crisp and browned, about 7 minutes.
2.While the bacon is crisping, prepare the pesto. Trim the root tip but preserve as much of the white bulb as possible. Wash and dry the leeks carefully, making sure to get all of the dirt out of the leaves.
3.Chop the leeks into three or four pieces and place in a food processor or the chopping cup of a hand blender. Add oil and a pinch of salt. Pulse until the wild leeks are fully chopped and relatively smooth. It should look like coarse pesto.
4.Drain any excess fat from the crisped bacon. On medium heat, add the wild leek pesto and stir fry for about 2 minutes to get rid of the sharp ‘raw’ flavour of the leeks. Add cream and stir until the sauce is thoroughly combined. Heat until the cream is just warmed through, about 1 minute. Stir in parmesan and season to taste with salt and pepper and remove from heat.
5.Cook spaghetti according to package instructions (see How to Cook Perfect Pasta for tips). Drain and toss with creamy pesto sauce. Garnish with a wild leek leaf and serve with extra parmesan if desired.