Leeks are  so way cooler than onions. The leek is a vegetable that belongs, along with onion and garlic, to the genus Allium, currently placed in family Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Allioideae. And because leeks and onions are botanically related, leeks perform the same function in just about any recipe that calls for onions. Just use them anywhere you would a regular cooking onion. And the saving grace of leeks is that  they are sweeter, with a more delicate flavor. Plus, they’re pretty!  Using leeks, you will find that this recipe is a twist on pasta carbonara and it  is sweet from leeks and  very rich, thanks to a  cream used, replacing the  eggs in a traditional carbonara.

Enjoy!

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
4 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 medium leeks, white and pale-green parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced crosswise
Kosher salt, to taste
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 pound fettuccine or pappardelle or tagliatelle
1 cup finely grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

Heat oil and butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add bacon and cook, stirring often, until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp, 5 to 8 minutes. Add leeks and season with salt. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring often, until leeks begin to brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Add cream, thyme, and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened and coats the back of a spoon, 5 to 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 2 cups pasta cooking liquid.

Add pasta, Parmesan, and 1 cup pasta cooking liquid to sauce and stir to coat. Increase heat to medium and continue stirring, adding more cooking liquid as needed, until sauce coats pasta.