Miso Braised Leeks With Girelle Pasta

I got my hands on some pasta from Organico RealFoods recently and, with the weather turning, was really fancying something cheesy and warming.

What if I could make cheesy leeks but with pasta? I wondered. And that's what I did!

The bright, fresh lemon ricotta sauce is brought to life by the umami-loaded braised veg. Organico's bronze-drawn Girelle pasta has the perfect bite to carry all the jammy, creamy goodness.

I'd definitely advise slicing the leeks to make them easier to eat (I love bowl food that I can eat with a fork!) but for the purpose of capturing this dish in all its cheesy, citrusy, salty glory, I left them long.

LEMON & RICOTTA GIRELLE WITH MISO BRAISED BABY LEEK TOPPING

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 Baby Leeks, quartered

1tbsp white miso paste

200g dried girelle

125g Ricotta

Zest of 1 lemon

Salt, Pepper, Oil

Method

1. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil, add the pasta and cook to al dente. Preheat the oven to 180°.

2. Spread about half the miso paste over the flat sides of the quartered leeks. In a small frying pan, heat a little oil and place them in, flat side down. Keep the pan on a medium heat, you want them to pick up a little colour on the surface.

3. Meanwhile, make up the rest of the miso paste with about 100ml boiling water, creating a very thin broth.

4. Once the leeks have some colour on them, transfer them to a deep baking tray. Pour in the miso broth - it should just coat the bottom of the pan. Add them to the tray, with the caramelised flat surface facing upwards. Pop them in the oven to finish steam-cooking.

5. Wipe down the same pan and, using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked girelle from the boiling water to the pan, maintaining a medium heat. Add the ricotta and lemon zest and stir to combine. Add small spoonfuls of the starchy pasta water to create a glossy sauce. Season it to taste with salt and pepper.

6. To serve, spoon the girelle into a bowl and top with the braised, caramelised leeks.