Author Notes
I like those fettuccine nests you can find in some stores, particularly import shops, because the noodles are a bit wider and are of the egg variety rather than the boxed macaroni type made with water instead of egg. Pastene makes them and there are several other Italian brands which I don't remember but they're easy to find. Don't overcook this stuff because it's not as forgiving as boxed pasta if you do, so you have to be careful about that. They make this dish quite good because of their creamier texture and al dente crunch. I could have used pancetta in this recipe but I wanted the smoky flavor of bacon because it works really well with the leeks. —DSpeer
Ingredients
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2
medium leeks, trimmed of the darker portion, rinsed
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4
strips of thick-sliced bacon, about 1/4 lb
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2 cups
grape tomatoes, halved
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1/2 cup
grated parmeasean, preferably Reggiano
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1/4 cup
white wine
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2 tablespoons
sofened butter, cubed
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8 ounces
fettuccine nests, 1/2 a package
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2 tablespoons
fresh oregano, chopped fine or 1 tsp dried
Directions
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Slice bacon crosswise into 1/2 inch lardons and cook in a heated saute pan until it's as crisp as you like. Drain, remove and set aside, reserving 2 tablespoons of the fat in the pan.
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Slice the leeks lengthwise and then across into fine chop and add to the saute pan along with a sprinkle of sea salt, cook on medium heat until quite wilted, about fifteen minutes
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Add the oregano and continue cooking for another two minutes.
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Add the tomatoes to the pan and turn up the heat a bit, cooking for about five minutes
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Add the bacon to the pan and cook for an additional couple of minutes at which point add the wine.
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Hopefully you've got a big pot of water boiling so it's time to add some salt and the pasta
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Simmer the leek mixture slowly while the pasta cooks, about eight minutes.
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When the pasta is done, drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the water and place in a warmed pasta bowl
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Turn the heat up on the leek mixture and add the butter, stirring to combine and thicken the existing liquid. Add salt and pepper to taste
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Toss with the pasta adding the Reggiano and the reserved water as you need it to keep things loose and moist. Serve with more cheese on the table—enjoy!
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