Description

This leek, walnut, and goat’s cheese pasta is a simple yet flavorful vegetarian dish combining tender leeks and crunchy walnuts with creamy goat’s cheese to create a comforting and elegant meal. The pasta is cooked al dente and tossed in an aromatic leek and walnut mixture with garlic and optional chili flakes, finished with melting goat’s cheese for a luscious texture.

Ingredients

Scale

Pasta

200g short pasta (casarecce recommended)

Sauce and Toppings

2 tbsp olive oil
1 leek, thinly sliced
30g walnuts, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
½ tsp chilli flakes (optional)
100g soft goat’s cheese (ensure it’s vegetarian if needed)

Instructions

Cook the pasta: Boil the pasta in salted water following the package instructions until al dente. Reserve a mugful of the pasta cooking water before draining the pasta thoroughly.
Prepare the leek and walnut mixture: Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the thinly sliced leeks and roughly chopped walnuts, season with salt and pepper, then reduce the heat to medium. Cook gently for 10 to 12 minutes until the leeks are softened and fragrant.
Add garlic and chili flakes: Stir in the crushed garlic cloves and the optional chili flakes, cooking for an additional 2 minutes to allow their flavors to infuse the mixture.
Combine pasta with sauce: Add the cooked pasta to the pan and toss together with the leek and walnut mixture. Pour in a generous splash of the reserved pasta cooking water to loosen the sauce and help it coat the pasta evenly.
Add goat’s cheese: Crumble half of the goat’s cheese into the pan and stir it through the pasta until it begins to melt and create a creamy texture. Adjust seasoning to taste if needed.
Serve: Transfer the pasta to serving plates and dot the remaining crumbled goat’s cheese on top just before serving for an attractive finish and bursts of creamy flavor.

Notes

For a nuttier flavor, toast the walnuts briefly before adding them to the pan.
Use vegetarian-friendly goat’s cheese if you want to keep the dish strictly vegetarian.
Chili flakes are optional and can be adjusted or omitted based on your spice preference.
Reserve some pasta water to adjust the sauce consistency for a smoother coating.
Casarecce pasta works best as it holds the sauce well, but any short pasta like penne or fusilli will work.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Category: Main Course
Method: Frying
Cuisine: Italian

Keywords: leek pasta, walnut pasta, goat cheese pasta, vegetarian pasta recipe, easy pasta dinner, casarecce pasta, creamy pasta