Leek & Prosciutto Linguine

Leek & Prosciutto Linguine is the perfect, quick meal! I love making this pasta because it's one of the simplest, most drool-worthy week-night dinners you can make. I've prepared this probably 3 dozen times with heavy cream but I wanted to make some changes. Not too long ago, I had to temporarily cut out dairy due to health reasons but really wanted to continue to make some of my favorite meals that call for this ingredient. I decided to try something new and go for coconut cream. Admittedly, I was nervous about I had to enter with an open mind because I wasn't really sure how I felt about turning this beloved dish of mine into one that was much more "coconutty." If you can get past this idea, I assure you, you too will be thrilled with how it turns out.

Watch me make Leek & Prosciutto Linguine here

ARVE Error: Mode: lazyload not available (ARVE Pro not active?), switching to normal mode

Ingredients

• Linguine-thicker than spaghetti and shaped differently, works well with the other ingredients in the dish
• Coconut cream-use a really high-quality coconut cream
• Leeks-a vegetable in the onion family whose flavors resemble that of garlic, onion, and shallots all in one.
• Crispy prosciutto- prosciutto that has been torn and baked at a high temperature in the oven
• Flour-used to thicken the mixture and cut down on the amount of time that the coconut cream is on the stove.
• Salt and pepper- brings out the flavors in the pasta
• *Optional Cheeses-Parmesan cheese or burrata are recommended for this pasta

What type of coconut cream should I use?

You need a high-quality coconut cream that is in liquid form. Pro tip- shake the can at the grocery store to see if you can hear the contents moving inside-this is what you want!! If you cannot hear the contents moving this likely means that the cream is solid inside and not the best for making into a cream sauce. Also, I must say that coconut cream can be tricky to work with. It can separate if you cook it on high heat so take it slow. Use medium heat. The addition of a little flour helps keep the stove time down ensuring the cream doesn't break.

How to make Leek & Prosciutto Linguine

1. The first thing you'll want to do is do all of the pre-work needed-this is generally a best practice for any recipe. Bake the prosciutto and set it aside. Next, clean, slice, and pat dry the leeks.
2. Boil and drain the pasta to al dente before setting it aside.
3. Coat a large saucepan with olive oil and heat to medium heat. Add the leeks and cook for about 3 minutes until the vegetables have become more tender. Toss the leeks during the cooking process and season with salt and pepper. Add the flour and toss so that the leeks are coated and no large chunks of flour remain.
4. Pour in the coconut cream slowly and mix well to combine. Heat the mixture until small bubbles form and continue to simmer on medium-low heat until the mixture thickens. After about 2-3 minutes add the pasta and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes while the sauce continues to thicken. During the last couple of minutes of the cooking process, add the crispy prosciutto and toss to combine.
5. Serve with cheese if desired. You can either grate some fresh Parmigiano Reggiano for the top or use fresh burrata.

How to make crispy prosciutto

You'll need a baking sheet and parchment paper to achieve this. Be sure to preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Tear apart each slice of prosciutto into smaller pieces and place them on the baking sheet. Make sure that they are spaced apart so the air can flow freely. Bake them in the oven but keep a close eye out because they can burn very quickly.

How to clean leeks

The best way I've found to clean leeks is simple and effective. ut the top, most leafy portion of the leeks off Find the part of the vegetable where the leaves start to come together and make a slice here. Turn the leeks lengthwise and cut them into 4 parts, making sure not to cut completely through the root. In a bowl of water or in the sink, use your fingers and rub in between the layers to remove the dirt. Slice as desired after this!

Substitutions

The most common substitution for this dish is the use of heavy cream instead of coconut cream. If you are completely opposed to using coconut cream, this is more than acceptable. If using heavy cream, however, I would definitely not use burrata as your cheese of choice. You also wouldn't need to use flour either as the cream will naturally thicken on its own. This is simply because burrata basically has heavy cream inside. I've done this before and found it to be entirely too much cream, very overpowering.

Print