Pasta with Walnut Oil and Leeks

I bought walnut oil last week. From what I've read, it's not good for cooking on the stove, but it's good for dressings and for baking. On Monday I decided to use it for pasta salad, and while I was grocery shopping at Wal-Mart, I decided what would be in the pasta salad. Here is my invented-at-Wal-Mart recipe.

As always, it was attended with some mishaps. I bought enough food to fill my tiny dorm fridge to bursting: two half-gallons of milk (a gallon jug won't fit) and two feet of celery, among other things. There was no room for the leeks in my fridge, unless I cooked them first. So I chopped them, cooked them, and then discovered that leeks, once cooked, are highly perishable and only last a couple of days. Oops. I decided to freeze half the leeks (it's not best for flavor/texture, but it's better than losing them completely), and the other half I kept separate from the rest of the ingredients. If you expect leftovers, as I did, mix the salad on your plate so your leftovers aren't spoiled by leeks gone bad. (That sounds ominous, doesn't it?)


Pasta with Walnut Oil and Leeks


 


I don't have exact quantities, because I only cooked up enough pasta for a few days' worth and mixed only one serving (see above explanation.) Adjust based on how many people you're serving. This dish has enough protein to be a main dish.

1/2 box (6 oz) high-protein pasta (rotini are good for pasta salads, because they catch the sauce in their spirals)
Walnut oil (no more than 1 tablespoon per serving)
3-5 oz. grated Parmesan cheese
1 leek per serving

1. Wash the leeks well under cold running water (they're usually pretty dirty inside). Cut off the bottom (the root end) and discard. Chop the leeks in thin slices. Make sure you don't see any dirt in the slices. If you do see dirt in the slices, take the outer layer off, rinse the rest, and keep chopping. You may need to wash the entire leek again after you've started chopping it, because the dirt gets into all the crevices. Only cut the white and very light green parts of the leek. Discard the rest.

2. Put a bit of oil into a frying pan and saute the chopped leeks over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until they look wilted. Separate the rings as you're sauteeing.

3. Add some water (a little less than one tablespoon per leek), cover the pan, and turn the heat down to simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes or until the water is evaporated and the leeks look duly cooked.

4. Cook high-protein pasta according to directions on box.

The rotini looked really funny in my electric skillet, so here's a picture:

 

5. Drain pasta and put in bowl. Toss with walnut oil. Add leeks and plenty of parmesan cheese. Salt and pepper to taste.

 

Note: This is even better with truffle oil, but since truffle oil is rather expensive, walnut oil will do just fine.