Orecchiette with Leeks, Spinach, Sausage, and Peas

May 21st, 2017 from LindasRecipes.com

Our meals were so mixed up this week.  I was going to make gnocchi Sunday, but I was not energized that way.  Rain and cold all day.  So we had this delicious dish instead.  It is in Fine Cooking.  It feeds 4-6, but we have a substantial amount left.  Jim says he will eat it all on Thursday as I will be at our Cheekwood end of season bridge party and dinner is included.  

Ingredients:

Kosher salt

3# leeks

2 t EVOO; more as needed

1# hot Italian sausage, casings removed

1 large clove garlic, finely chopped

5 oz. baby spinach (I was out and it was nasty rain all day, so I used arugula)

1 1/2C frozen peas

12 oz. orecchiette

2 oz. Parmigiano

1/4 C fresh mint

Freshly ground black pepper

Fresh lemon juice

Pea Shoots, for garnish

Lemon wedges for serving

Directions:

  1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.  
  2. Trim the leeks, leaving the white and light-green parts.  Slice in half lengthwise, then crosswise into 1/2” thick half-moon slices to yield about 8 cups.  
  3. Rinse well, then pat dry.  
  4. heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  
  5. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, breaking up the meat into small bits, and adding more oil if needed, until cooked through, 5-7 minutes.  
  6. Using a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a bowl, leaving about 2T of fat in the pan.  Add the leeks and 1/4 t salt, and cook, stirring occasionally and adding more oil if the pan seems dry, until tender, 7-10 minutes.  
  7. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute.  
  8. Stir in the spinach and peas.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach is wilted, 1-2 minutes ore.  
  9. Return the sausage to the skillet and keep warm.
  10. 10.Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente.  
  11. 11.Reserve 1 C of the pasta cooking water, drain the pasta, and return the pasta to the pot.  Add the sausage leek mixture, the reserved cooking water, cheese, mint, and a generous pinch of pepper.  Toss to combine.
  12. 12.Season to taste with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.  
  13. 13.Serve topped with additional cheese and pea shoots.  Serve lemon wedges on the side, if you like.

We both got a lot of work done Sunday.  Funny that rain keeps you busy inside.  I just should have read a book.  We drank the house chardonnay.