A few weeks ago, I was in a cooking rut. I did NOT want to make dinner, but I also had some food in the fridge that needed to be used soon. Being a responsible adult is rough sometimes… So I dragged my cranky butt into the kitchen to the fridge and pulled stuff out, starting with leeks, smoked sausage links, grape tomatoes, and wine. I wasn’t sure yet if the wine would be for drinking, cooking or both… 

Oh! There was also some yummy dairy-free mozzarella that I needed to use soon, too!

I decided that box of gluten free spaghetti I had in the pantry would be a nice addition to bulk everything up and make a tasty meal. 

I started to get more excited and less cranky. Nothing like a little experimentation to get me going! I was going to make something delicious! And, I did just that. 

A quick note about the diary-free options I mentioned above and below in the recipe. I feel my best when I don’t eat a ton of dairy, so I have been using the Miyoko brand lately and have enjoyed their butter and mozzarella. Feel free to use the real thing if you tolerate it well! This recipe should translate well to dairy just fine. 

Pasta with Leeks and Sausage

 

Pasta with Leeks & Sausage

Course: Main Course
Servings: 3 people
Author: Suzie Bauer

Ingredients

  • 8 oz Gluten Free Spaghetti
  • Water
  • 2 Leeks thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves Garlic minced
  • 6-8 oz Smoked Sausage Links sliced
  • 2 Tbsp Butter or dairy-free butter
  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1/2 cup Dry White Wine
  • 1/4 cup Full Fat Coconut Milk or heavy cream
  • 1/4 tsp Sea Salt or more to taste
  • 1/8 tsp Black Pepper or more to taste
  • 3 oz Mozzarella grated, plus more for garnish (dairy-free is fine, too)
  • 12 Grape Tomatoes sliced in half

Instructions

  • Cook pasta according to the directions on the pasta you use.
  • In a large skillet, brown the sliced sausage over medium-high heat, about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan. Don’t worry about the brown bits in the bottom of the pan, that’s flavor and will come into the mix soon!
  • Add butter and olive oil to the pan. Once the butter has melted, add the sliced leeks, minced garlic and sea salt to the pan and stir frequently until the leeks soften. About 5 minutes.
  • Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan. Use a spoon to scrape off the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Let the wine, leeks and garlic cook for a couple minutes before adding in the coconut milk and grated mozzarella. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes.
  • Add the sausage back to the pan and season with pepper and more salt to taste.
  • Once the pasta is cooked, drain out the water and then add the pasta to the pan and toss to evenly mix.
  • Top with sliced grape tomatoes and more mozzarella as desired.

Notes

The mozzarella, whether it’s dairy-free or not, will grate easier if you pop it in the freezer for about 20 minutes.

I encourage you to get in your kitchen and experiment with what you have! If you’re feeling stuck, a simple google search with a few key ingredients you have on hand can help you find a recipe that could work for you. 

Do you like to experiment in the kitchen? Tell me what you’ve made below in the comments! Share the good, the bad, and the ugly! I love it all!