Meat Free Blt Spaghetti With Butter Lettuce Leek Tomato Recipes

MEAT FREE BLT SPAGHETTI WITH BUTTER LETTUCE, LEEK AND TOMATO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium heat. Salt the water, add the spaghetti and cook 1 minute shy of al dente. Remove a ladle of the pasta water and reserve. Drain the pasta and set aside.
• Meanwhile, chop and reserve 1 lead lettuce. Chop second head and add to a food processor with the parsley, basil or tarragon, mint, pine nuts, lemon zest, salt and pepper, to taste, and the cheese. Pulse to chop the greens, then with the processor on stream in 1/4 to 1/3 cup of extra-virgin olive oil, to form a pesto. Transfer the pesto to large pasta serving bowl and reserve.
• Heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks and garlic and saute until wilted, 3 minutes. Add the grape tomatoes, stir, raise heat a bit and put a lid on the pan. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes to burst tomatoes - force the last few along with a potato masher or a wooden spoon if you get impatient. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, then stir in the wine and cook for 1 minute.
• Add the ladle of the reserved pasta water to the pesto. Add the pasta to the bowl along with the tomatoes and leeks. Toss for 1 minute, and season with salt and pepper, if needed. Douse the pasta the lemon juice and garnish with the reserved chopped lettuce. Serve with extra cheese for topping.

BLT: BEEF, LEEK AND TOMATO SALAD - WITH BACON DRESSING - AN EXTRA "B"!

Steps:

• Heat a grill pan or grill to medium-high heat.
• Bring steaks to room temperature, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper on both sides.
• Place the steaks on the grill, cook meat 10 to 12 minutes for pink centers. Turn twice and let meat rest 5 minutes before slicing.
• While meat cooks, brown bacon in a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil in a medium to large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Chop the leeks then soak in a large bowl of water or separate the chopped leeks by running under water. Dry the leeks in a kitchen towel.
• Place cooked bacon on paper towels to drain. Pour off all but about a tablespoon of bacon drippings then add leeks and wilt down. Season cooked leeks with salt and peppe, to taste.
• Transfer the cooked bacon to a food processor and add Worcestershire, vinegar, mustard, some black pepper and a splash of water. Turn processor on and stream in 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil.
• On each dinner plate, arrange a bed of shredded romaine and thickly sliced tomatoes. Slice meat against the grain of the steak. Arrange the steak over the sliced tomatoes. Scatter the leeks over the sliced steaks and pour bacon dressing down over the top.

CREAMY BLT PASTA (RACHAEL RAY)

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Once at a full rolling boil, salt water and cook pasta to al dente.
• In medium sized saute pan, fry the bacon until almost crisp.
• Drain and set aside.
• In the remaining bacon drippings, add leeks and garlic and season with pepper. Stir a few minutes to soften then add tomato paste and stir a minute more; add wine and reduce by half. Add tomatoes and heat through.
• Stir in the cheese, reduce heat to low and cook until melted.
• Reserve about 1/2 cup starchy cooking liquid just before draining pasta, then drain, return to the pot and add sauce to the pasta.
• Add the bacon in and toss, using starchy water to combine. Adjust the seasoning of pasta to taste, serve in shallow bowls topped with Parmesan cheese if desired.

BLT PASTA BAKE: BACON, LEEKS, AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Place a pot of water on to boil for the pasta. When the water reaches a boil, add some salt and the pasta, and cook until al dente.
• While the pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and chopped bacon and cook until crisp.
• While bacon is cooking, split the trimmed leeks in half lengthwise, lay the leeks cut side down and thinly slice into half-moons. Fill a large bowl with water and mix the leeks into the water.
• Allow the water to settle and the dirt and the grit to settle to the bottle of the bowl. Using your hands, draw the leeks from the water, taking care not to unsettle the dirt.
• Drain the cleaned leeks on a kitchen towel, pat dry and, and then add to the pan with the bacon. Season the leeks with salt and pepper. Cook until leeks are tender, about 3 to 4 minutes.
• To start the cheese sauce, heat a medium sauce pot over medium heat. Add the butter and melt, then add the flour, cayenne, and paprika and whisk together over the heat until the roux bubbles; cook for 1 minute more.
• Whisk in the milk and stock and raise the heat a little. Bring the sauce to a quick boil and simmer to thicken, about 5 minutes.
• Remove the sauce from the heat and whisk in 3 cups of the grated cheese and the mustard. Set aside.
• Add the cherry tomatoes to the leeks and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and reserve.
• Preheat the broiler.
• Drain the pasta and add it back to the pasta pot. Combine the reserved leek mixture and the cheese sauce with the pasta. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Transfer the pasta to a baking dish. Combine the remaining ½ cup of grated cheese with the bread crumbs.
• Top the pasta with the mixture. Place the dish under the broiler until the cheese melts and the bread crumbs are brown.