This is soothing comfort food, based on a dish my mother used to make at home. I like using tagliatelle, as it’s unusual in a pasta bake, but by all means substitute your favourite pasta shape. My friend Emma reports that fusilli works well. Speed up your cooking by prepping the vegetables as the pasta cooks, then it’s just a quick stint in the oven to finish.
Prep Time10mins
Cook Time30mins
Course: Main Course
Servings: 3people
Ingredients
260gtagliatelle
2large leekscut into half moons
250gchestnut mushroomsroughly sliced
300mlcréme fraiche
1tbspoliveoilplus more to bake
1tspseasalt flakes
10sprigs of fresh thymeleaves only
75gcheddar cheesegrated
100gpanko breadcrumbs
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C/gas 7.
Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water for 10 minutes, until just cooked but still al dente. (If you're using fresh tagliatelle from the chiller section of the supermarket, it’s usually just 3-4 minutes.)
While the pasta is cooking, slice the leeks and mushrooms and grate the cheddar. Drop the leeks in with the pasta water for the last minute of cooking, then drain well.
Tip the pasta and leeks into a roasting tin or lasagne dish and stir through the creme fraiche, olive oil, sea salt and half the thyme leaves.
Top with the sliced mushrooms and the remaining thyme, followed by the grated cheddar and the breadcrumbs.
Drizzle over a little more olive oil, then transfer to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the top is golden brown and crisp. Serve hot, with a green salad if you like.