Cheesy Leek And Spinach Pasta

Total Time: 35 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 large leeks, total weight about 1lb, thinly sliced
• 16 ounces penne rigate or 16 ounces your favourite pasta
• 6 3/4 ounces creme fraiche or 6 3/4 ounces sour cream
• 1 tablespoon coarse grain mustard
• 4 3/8 ounces danish blue cheese, roughly diced
• 8 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and thinly sliced
• 7 7/8 ounces baby spinach leaves
• salt, to taste
• fresh coarse ground black pepper, to taste
• crushed red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)
• chopped pistachio nut (to garnish)

Recipe

• 1 melt the butter with the oil in a large pan, put in the leeks and splash in a little hot water.
• 2 cover and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until no longer squeaky.
• 3 while the leeks are cooking, boil the penne in salted water according to the packet instructions.
• 4 meanwhile, add the creme fraiche and mustard into the leeks, add three-quarters of the cheese and season well.
• 5 stir until the cheese melts.
• 6 season the leeks mixture with salt and pepper, to taste.
• 7 take off the heat.
• 8 drain the pasta, reserving the cooking water.
• 9 pour the pasta into the sauce and stir, adding enough cooking water to make the sauce coat the pasta.
• 10 add crushed red pepper flakes, if using.
• 11 stir in the spinach, a big handful at a time, until it wilts, splashing in a little more water if needed.
• 12 toss in the remaining cheese and serve.