Pasta with Plant-Based Creamy Leek and Mince Sauce
Cheese, leek, ground – if that's not the holy trinity of comfort food! The reason I (and many others) love this combination so much might also be because it makes me a bit nostalgic. The well-known and beloved cheese-leek-ground soup has been featured at so many family celebrations in my family – and it certainly can't be because of its beautiful appearance. Since I love eating this combo so much, we already have a small collection of "holy trinity recipes" on our blog: our classic cheese-leek soup with soy ground, a ground-cheese-leek casserole with rutabagas, and cannelloni with vegan ground filling and cheese-leek topping. Today, another variation joins the collection: creamy pasta with vegan cheese-leek-ground sauce. Extra points for coziness if you eat it with a spoon too.
Why does everyone love this combo so much?
Besides the nostalgic aspect, the combination of cheese, leek, and ground is also not to be underestimated from a culinary perspective. Leek brings a mild onion note that's not as overpowering as classic onions. The vegan ground provides a hearty base and bite, and the vegan cheese makes everything creamy and rounds out the whole dish. Together as a sauce, they perfectly embrace your pasta.
Which vegan ground works best?
We're using fresh vegan ground for this recipe, but you could also use sunflower seed ground, pre-cooked vegan ground, soy granules, or whatever you prefer. A little trick are the sunflower seeds that we sauté together with the vegan ground. They add extra bite and bring a slightly nutty note.
Which pasta works best?
As I mentioned, when it comes to coziness, it's important to me that dishes can be eaten with a spoon – yes, even pasta dishes. Additionally, the sauce should stick well to the pasta, so here's the stage for Strozzapreti from Byodo! Their twisted shape picks up the creamy sauce perfectly. Byodo products have been in our kitchen for years. The natural foods company from Upper Bavaria produces their pasta 100% in Italy according to the highest standards. The sun-ripened durum wheat and emmer semolina ensure that the pasta remains perfectly al dente even after cooking. What's special: The pasta is pressed through bronze dies, making the surface slightly textured – so our creamy sauce sticks to them even better. You can find Byodo products in many organic stores or directly in their online shop.
Pasta with Plant-Based Creamy Leek and Mince Sauce
Ingredients
- 200 g (7 oz) leek
- 1 onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 250 g (8.75 oz) fresh vegan ground
- 50 g (1.75 oz) sunflower seeds
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp agave syrup
- 1 tbsp wheat flour (type 405)
- 300 ml (1.25 cups) vegetable broth
- 250 ml (1 cup) vegan cooking cream
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp mustard (e.g., from Byodo)
- 500 g (1 lb) pasta (e.g., Strozzapreti von Byodo)
- salt
- pepper
- nutmeg
- vegetable oil for frying (e.g., from Byodo)
- vegan parmesan for serving
Instructions
- Clean the leek, cut lengthwise in half, and slice into thicker pieces. Peel onion and garlic and finely chop.
- Heat vegetable oil in a deep pan or pot. Sauté the vegan ground meat and sunflower seeds for approx. 5 minutes over medium heat until both are lightly browned. Add soy sauce and agave syrup, fry for another 2–3 minutes. Add onion, garlic, and leek and sauté for 3–4 minutes.
- Dust everything with flour and combine. Then deglaze with vegetable broth and vegan cream. Add nutritional yeast and mustard and let the sauce simmer over low heat until the pasta is ready. Then season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Before draining, reserve some of the pasta cooking water.
- Drain the pasta and immediately add to the sauce and combine. Add some of the reserved pasta cooking water as needed until the sauce is really creamy. Season to taste again and top with fresh pepper and vegan parmesan.
