This Leek Pancetta Pasta is a healthy weeknight dinner! It's prepared with sautéed leeks, spinach, lemon, and made without heavy cream.
This Pancetta Leek Pasta is perfect when you're looking for a flavorful meal that's easy to prepare, but feels a little extra special. It's made using only a few ingredients and takes a bit more than 30 minutes to make!
Pasta is one of my go-to weeknight dinners. I love that you can combine it with nearly any combination of ingredients and in a little more than 30 minutes you have a tasty and satisfying meal.
This pasta is made with an ingredient that tends to get overlooked for no good reason - Leeks. Leeks are a member of the onion family and provide a great nutty and savory flavor to any dish.
Leeks pair especially well with decadent ingredients like pancetta, which is pork belly that's been salt-cured with spices and often used in Italian dishes like pasta. It's similar to bacon, except that it's not smoked.
This dish is also tossed with fresh spinach, lemon, and Parmesan cheese in a skillet along with some penne or short pasta of choice. It's prepared without heavy cream, making it lighter than many pancetta pasta recipes out there.
Jump to:
- What Are Leeks?
- How To Cut and Clean Leeks
- What Flavors Go Well With Leeks?
- What Is Pancetta?
- Ingredients For Leek Pancetta Pasta
- How To Make Leek Pancetta Pasta
- Combine The Pasta In A Skillet
- Which Pasta Is Best?
- What To Serve With Pancetta Leek Pasta
- How Long Does This Pasta Last In The Fridge?
- Can It Be Frozen?
- Leek Pancetta Pasta
What Are Leeks?
Leeks are a member of the allium family, along with onions, shallots, chives, and garlic. They are often used as an aromatic, providing flavor to everything from soups, stews, roasted meats, and pasta dishes.
They can be eaten raw or cooked, but are often cooked, as this helps to sweeten them and mellows out their sharp flavor. When cooked, leeks develop a mild, nutty flavor that's a bit more complex than that of onions.
The entire leek is edible, but most often the part used is the middle white and light green portion. The dark green portion at the top of a leek is tough, fibrous, and requires a longer cooking time. It's often used to make vegetable broth.
The hairy bottom portion of the leek is also removed and discarded when making this Leek Pancetta Pasta, as it is not needed.
You can find leeks in the produce section of the grocery store or at your local farmer's market when in season.
How To Cut and Clean Leeks
Leeks can be dirty and it's important to clean them before adding them to any recipe. They are easy to clean and it only takes a few minutes to complete.
- To clean them, remove any dirty or damaged outer layers from 2 large leeks.
- Remove the hairy bottom portion and the fibrous, dark green leaves from the leeks and discard.
- Cut the middle white and light green portion of the leeks into slices.
- Place the sliced leeks into a bowl of cold water and shake the bowl to remove any excess dirt. Allow the leeks to soak for a minute or two.
- Drain the leeks and place them onto a cloth towel or some paper towels to dry.
If you love leeks, be sure to check out this Potato Cauliflower Leek Soup!
What Flavors Go Well With Leeks?
Leeks go well with earthy and savory ingredients like potatoes and mushrooms, thyme and tarragon, chicken, fish, and eggs.
They also pair nicely with dairy, such as butter, heavy cream, and cheeses like Parmesan and Gruyere. Leeks are often used along with bacon and pancetta.
Leeks are hearty and can stand up to decadent ingredients like bacon and cheese and their flavor is more complex than that of onions, making them an ideal candidate for all types of dishes.
What Is Pancetta?
Pancetta is pork belly that has been salt-cured along with spices and is similar to bacon, except that bacon is smoked, giving it a characteristically smoky flavor.
Both pancetta and bacon are considered 'raw' and must be cooked before consuming. Pancetta cooks much the same as bacon. This pasta uses diced pancetta, which is sautéed in a skillet with olive oil, which helps it to become crispy while rendering out the fat.
I like to use pancetta in dishes like pasta, because it provides great flavor without overwhelming it with smokiness, which can be the case with bacon.
Diced pancetta can generally be found in the deli, or specialty refrigerated foods section of your local grocery store or specialty foods store.
If you can't find pancetta, you can substitute bacon.
Ingredients For Leek Pancetta Pasta
Here's what you'll need to make it.
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 2 Leeks (equals 2-3 cups sliced)
- 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
- 3-4 oz. Pancetta (diced) (can sub bacon)
- 2 packed cups Spinach (or hearty greens of choice)
- 1 package Gluten Free Penne Pasta (or short pasta of choice) (can use regular pasta if not gluten free)
- ¼ cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth
- 1 Lemon (zest and juice)
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese (grated)
- ½ tsp. Kosher Salt (split)
- ¼ tsp. Pepper
- Fresh herbs such as basil or parsley for garnish (optional)
How To Make Leek Pancetta Pasta
This pasta is made by first cutting and cleaning the leeks, mincing the garlic, and preparing all of the other ingredients, including the pasta.
The pancetta is sautéed in a skillet along with some olive oil, which helps to render out the fat. The pancetta is then removed and the sliced leeks are sautéed in the same skillet, allowing them to cook down and caramelize a bit in the rendered fat.
Once the pasta is cooked, drained, and rinsed, it's added to the skillet along with all of the other ingredients. Both the pancetta and the leeks smell amazing as they cook and provide this pasta with a lot of flavor.
- Start by preparing 1 package of gluten free short pasta (such as penne, rotini, or fusilli) (can use regular short pasta if not gluten free) and cook just until al dente.
- Once the pasta is al dente, drain and rinse under cold water. This helps to keep the gluten free pasta from becoming mushy (rinsing the pasta is not necessary if using regular pasta).
- Mince 4 cloves of garlic.
- Clean and cut 2 large leeks into slices (instructions above).
- Roughly chop 2 packed cups of spinach (or hearty greens of choice, such as kale, Swiss chard, or arugula).
- Place a large skillet on the stove top and heat to medium. Add 2 Tbsp. olive oil to the skillet.
- Once the oil is heated, add 3-4 oz. diced pancetta to the skillet. Sauté the pancetta for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. This will allow the pancetta to become crispy and renders any fat.
- Once the pancetta is crispy, remove and set aside, keeping any rendered fat in the skillet.
- Add the sliced leeks, along with ¼ tsp. kosher salt to the skillet and sauté over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The leeks should soften and caramelize a bit as they cook.
- Add the minced garlic to the skillet after 10 minutes and sauté the garlic along with the leeks for 1-2 minutes, stirring often.
Combine The Pasta In A Skillet
Once the pasta, pancetta, and leeks are cooked, it's time to combine all of the ingredients in the skillet and cook until warmed through.
- Add the drained and rinsed pasta to the skillet, along with the cooked pancetta, spinach (or hearty greens of choice), ¼ cup low sodium chicken broth, and ¼ tsp. each of kosher salt and pepper. Stir all of these ingredients until combined.
- Using a Microplane or small zester, add the zest of 1 lemon. Cut the lemon in half and add all of the juice to the pasta.
- Add ½ cup of grated Parmesan cheese to the pasta (can sub Asiago or Pecorino Romano if desired).
- Stir all of these ingredients until completely combined and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, or until the spinach has wilted down and the cheese melted.
Which Pasta Is Best?
This recipe is gluten free and made with a gluten free short pasta, such as penne, farfalle, fusilli, or rotini.
Feel free to use any brand of short pasta if gluten is not an issue for you.
I used the gluten free penne pasta from Jovial and loved the results. Tinkyada or Barilla are also great choices for optimal taste and texture.
Here are some tips on how to achieve the best taste and texture when making gluten free pasta.
- Make sure to cook it just until al dente. Gluten free pasta can become very mushy when overcooked.
- Once the pasta is cooked just until al dente, drain it in a strainer and rinse under cold water. This helps to stop the cooking process and helps the pasta to remain firm. Allow the cooled pasta to sit in the strainer until added to the rest of the ingredients.
- Stir the pasta only until combined with all of the other ingredients. Gluten free pasta falls apart easily and the less it's disturbed, the better.
- Make sure to use a high quality brand.
What To Serve With Pancetta Leek Pasta
Once the pasta is finished, it can be garnished with some extra Parmesan cheese, lemon zest or squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and herbs of choice, such as basil or parsley.
Fresh herbs always add brightness and color to any dish, but this step is entirely optional.
Pasta dishes like this one are great served with some roasted chicken breasts or a roasted vegetable side dish.
If you're looking for an appetizer to serve with this pasta, this Kalamata olive tapenade or mushroom tapenade are tasty options.
A salad such as this marinated tomato salad, Italian green bean salad, pickled beet salad, or fresh pea mint salad also pair nicely with Mediterranean inspired pasta dishes like this one.
How Long Does This Pasta Last In The Fridge?
Any leftover should last 2-3 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
Make sure to allow the pasta to cool completely before transferring to the refrigerator for storage.
Can It Be Frozen?
For the best taste and texture, I do not recommend freezing this pasta.
Love pasta? Check out these recipes!
- Kale Pancetta Pasta
- Chicken Marsala Pasta
- One Pot Veggie Pasta
- Mediterranean Vegetarian Pasta
- Spinach Walnut Pesto
- Mushroom and Olive Pasta
- Ground Turkey Spinach Pasta
- Green Pasta Sauce
Looking For More Leek Recipes? Don't Miss These!
Spring Leek Soup
Leek Vinaigrette
Leek and Mushroom Quiche
Leek Pancetta Pasta
Ingredients
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 large leeks yields 2-3 cups sliced
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 4 oz. pancetta diced
- 2 packed cups spinach or hearty greens of choice
- 1 package gluten free penne pasta can use regular penne pasta if not gluten free
- ¼ cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 lemon zest and juice
- ½ tsp. kosher salt split
- ¼ tsp. pepper
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- fresh herbs such as basil or parsley for garnish optional
Instructions
For The Leeks:
- To clean the leeks, remove any dirty or damaged outer layers from 2 large leeks.
- Remove the hairy bottom portion and the fibrous, dark green leaves from the leeks and discard.
- Cut the white/light green portion of the leeks into slices. Place the sliced leeks into a bowl of cold water and shake the bowl to remove any excess dirt. Allow the leeks to soak for a minute or two.
- Drain the leeks and place them onto a cloth towel or some paper towels to dry.
For The Pasta:
- Prepare 1 package of gluten free short pasta (such as penne, rotini, or fusilli) (can use regular short pasta if not gluten free) and cook just until al dente.
- Once the pasta is al dente, drain and rinse under cold water. This helps to keep the gluten free pasta from becoming mushy (rinsing under cold water is not necessary if using regular pasta).Allow the pasta to sit in the strainer while preparing the rest of the dish.
- Mince 4 cloves of garlic.
- Roughly chop 2 packed cups of spinach (or hearty greens of choice, such as kale, Swiss chard, or arugula).
- Place a large skillet on the stove top and heat to medium. Add 2 Tbsp. olive oil to the skillet. Once heated, add 3-4 oz. diced pancetta to the skillet. Sauté the pancetta for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. This will allow the pancetta to become crispy and helps to render any fat.Once the pancetta is crispy, remove and set aside, keeping any rendered fat in the skillet.
- Add the sliced leeks, along with ¼ tsp. kosher salt to the skillet and sauté over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The leeks should soften and caramelize a bit as they cook.
- Add the minced garlic to the skillet after 10 minutes and sauté the garlic along with the leeks for 1-2 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the drained and rinsed pasta to the skillet, along with the cooked pancetta, spinach (or hearty greens of choice), ¼ cup low sodium chicken broth, and ¼ tsp. each of kosher salt and pepper. Stir all of these ingredients until combined.
- Using a Microplane or small zester, add the zest of 1 lemon. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze all of the juice to the pasta, being careful not to get any of the seeds in the dish.
- Add ½ cup of grated Parmesan cheese to the pasta (can sub Asiago or Pecorino Romano if desired). Stir all of these ingredients until completely combined and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, or until the spinach has wilted down, the cheese melted, and the pasta heated through.
- To Serve: Serve with some extra grated Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, and fresh herbs such as basil or parsley (optional).
Claire
I made this for dinner and it was such a great hit! I used spinach as that is what I had on hand and it was just delicious. Thank you for the recipe
Jenni
This pasta was so good! I have been looking for a way to use the new red lentil pasta I kept seeing in the store, and this recipe was the right fit! It was so simple and so delicious!
Jamie
I love the flavor of lemon in this pasta. It pairs perfectly with the leeks and lentil pasta!
Sean@Diversivore
First of all, yes, you deserve a trophy. Something with a big x through a stalk of wheat, or something. It'd look nice on the mantle.
Secondly, I'm totally with you - nothing beats a simple but amazing pasta meal. There are endless options! I love lemons with pasta, and I really like how you've incorporated them here with leeks and walnuts. I haven't actually tried the lentil pasta yet, but it looks really good, so I think I'll have to give it a try. Cheers!
Lucy
This is an easy and flavorful recipe. I use Banza pasta (made with chickpea flour) and prefer it to the pastas with gluten. You are such a gifted cook. Thank you for your work, and for this recipe!
Christine
Hi Lucy - Thank you for your kind words and I'm so glad that you are enjoying this recipe! 🙂