Papperdelle with Leeks & Bacon

I owe a tip of the hat to Grandpa Gary for this entry as well.  There was an edition of Bon Apetit magazine devoted to pasta recently.  It had loads of great recipes as well as some really good tips for making pasta.  This recipe was dog-eared by The Mrs -- so I decided to make it Sunday night.

This, my friends, is a leek.  For most people the only time they talk about leeks is when they have to call a plumber.  But this type of leek is a vegetable in the same family as onions and garlic.  The edible part is the white base and the lighter green portion of the leaves.

In a larger pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil and one tbsp of butter.  Add 4 strips of bacon, sliced 1/2" thick and cook until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crispy.  Then slice the leeks down the center, and slice into 1/2" pieces and add to your bacon & oil.

Cook until the leeks are tender (5-8 minutes) over medium-high heat.  Next add 3/4 cup of heavy cream, thyme, and 1/2 cup of water.  Bring this to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for another 5-8 minutes.

Meanwhile, boil the pasta in salted water until it is al dente.  Drain the pasta, reserving two cups of the starchy water.  Do not rinse the pasta.  The starch on the pasta will help bind the sauce to the noodles later.  

Reserving the starchy water to incorporate into the sauce was a tip from the magazine. Once your sauce has thickened, add the pasta, 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese, and 1 cup of your starchy pasta water.  Stir to coat pasta, adding more water as necessary until you have a creamy sauce.

We served ours with a great little side salad.  My better half chopped cucumber, radish  and red bell peppers and added them to peppery greens.  We used a creamy Italian dressing to compliment the pasta, and served everything with a fresh baked loaf of Italian bread ... oh, and a glass of Red wine.  (Are you sensing a theme to this meal?)

I topped my pasta with just a little bit of Italian-seasoned bread crumbs for an added layer of taste & texture.  This was a fantastic meal, and the house smelled amazing!