Lemony Leeks And Pasta Salad Recipes

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water until no longer hot; set aside.
• To make the dressing, combine the mayonnaise, milk, sour cream, parsley, chives, mint, lemon zest and juice, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 2 tablespoons Parmesan in a small bowl. Set aside. Before tossing, splash in more milk if needed for thinning.
• In a large bowl, combine the pasta, broccoli, tomatoes, peas, asparagus, carrots and leeks. Pour over the dressing and toss to coat. Top with the remaining tablespoon of Parmesan and some black pepper. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

Steps:

• Grate the zest from the lemon into a small bowl. Halve the lemon and squeeze the juice from half of it on top of the zest. Add the white beans, shallot or onion, grated garlic, red-pepper flakes and a large pinch of salt and toss well. Drizzle in 1 tablespoon olive oil and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until just shy of al dente, usually 2 minutes less than the package directs.
• Meanwhile, heat a 12-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil, then add the asparagus. Sauté until the asparagus is tender and starting to brown at the edges, 7 to 10 minutes. Add a big pinch of salt and the sliced garlic and sauté until the garlic is lightly golden, 1 to 2 minutes longer.
• Dip a coffee mug or glass measuring cup into the pasta water and scoop out about 1/2 cup of it to use for the sauce. Drain pasta, shaking it well. Add pasta, bean mixture, parsley and Parmesan to sauté pan and cook until the beans are hot and the pasta is al dente. If the mixture looks dry, splash in some (or all) of the reserved pasta water. Squeeze remaining lemon half over pasta, toss and taste. Season with pepper; add more salt, red-pepper flakes and lemon juice, if desired.

Steps:

• Combine the leeks, olive oil, salt, pepper, nutmeg and vanilla-bean seeds in a nonstick skillet. Cook over medium-low heat until the leeks are soft, about 20 minutes. Set aside.
• Pour the vegetable broth into a small saucepan and bring it to a boil. Turn off the heat, add the thyme leaves and steep for 1 minute. Strain. Pour the broth into a blender, add the leeks, roasted garlic and lemon rind. Puree until smooth and pour it into a large salad bowl. Set aside.
• Blanch the peas in a large pot of boiling water for 1 minute. Drain. Rinse under cold running water until cool. Add to the salad bowl.
• Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender. Drain. Add to the salad bowl. Toss to combine. Refrigerate until chilled. Cut the romaine into thin strips crosswise add to the salad bowl. Toss. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and rinse. Set aside.
• In another large pot of boiling salted water, add the asparagus and blanch until bright green and slightly tender, about 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon or a spider and shock in icy cold water. Remove from the water and dry well.
• Trim the ends of the asparagus and cut into bite-size pieces on the bias.
• Whisk together the mustard, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Combine the reserved asparagus and pasta in a large serving bowl. Add the tomatoes, dill, peas, feta, and the mustard dressing. Toss with tongs to coat the salad well. Taste and add additional salt and pepper, if needed.

Steps:

• Fill a large pot 3/4 of the way with water and place over high heat. Add plenty of salt and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente. Drain the pasta and rinse under cold water to cool down.
• Put the pasta in a large serving bowl and add the tomatoes, basil, lemon juice, olive oil and salt. Toss well and garnish with fresh basil leaves.

Steps:

• 1. Grate lemon, set aside, cut off white pith & discard. Cut lemon into 1/4 inch slices and set aside. 2. Heat oil in large skillet. Add almonds and cook over high heat until light brown (30 sec). Whth slotted spoon, remove almonds. 3. Add leeks, lemon slices, lemon peel, and capers to pan. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Cook and stir about 1 minute, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove from heat. Remove and discard lemon slices. 4. Stir in red and yellow pepper slices and almonds. 5. Chill 6. Cook pasta to desired doneness. Rinse and drain. 7. In large bowl, combine pasta and vegetable mixture and toss gently. 8. Serve on beds of greens

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high.
• Meanwhile, prepare your leeks: Trim 1/2 inch off both ends, then cut each leek crosswise, separating the bottom third of the white portion from the top two-thirds of light and dark leek greens. Halve the greens lengthwise, wash them, then set them aside.
• Halve your leek whites lengthwise, cut them crosswise into 2-inch segments, then slice those segments thinly lengthwise to create matchsticks. (If you notice any grit in the sliced leek whites, wash them thoroughly, transfer them to a dish towel, squeezing to remove excess moisture, then spread them out to dry.)
• In a small, deep saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high and line a baking sheet with paper towels. Working in three to four batches for even cooking, add about 1/4 of the white leek strips and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 4 minutes. The key here is to keep residual cooking in mind: Since your delicate leeks will continue cooking after being removed from the hot oil, you want to pull them from the hot oil when about a third of each batch is fully golden, a third is lightly golden and another third is still green. (They won't cook perfectly evenly; it's not you, it's them and the nature of cooking.) Remove them swiftly, using a slotted spoon and tilting the saucepan to transfer the leeks to the paper towel-lined plate. Season to taste with salt. Repeat with the remaining batches. Set the oil aside to cool.
• Add the pasta and leek greens to the boiling water, reduce the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is just shy of al dente, about 8 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water. Using tongs, transfer the leek greens to a blender, then pour the pasta into a colander set in the sink.
• Add the reserved leek oil to the leek greens, along with 2/3 cup pasta water and a generous pinch each of salt and pepper, and blend until creamy. Add the sauce to the pot and stir in the pasta. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and add more pasta water, if desired, to thin the sauce. Divide among plates and sprinkle with frizzled leeks. Grate fresh lemon zest on top, if desired, then squeeze with lemon. Serve immediately.