Dolcelatte, leek and lovage sauce for pasta

Taken from "VEG: simple, stylish and seasonal vegetarian cooking" by Catherine Mason (Pauntley Press, 2001, ISBN: 0-9534879-2-8, price £12.99)
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This sauce is rich and savoury, so is best served with plain cooked pasta, either fresh or dried. It's also good on baked potatoes. All the dish needs by way of accompaniment is a crisp salad and a glass of cold dry white wine.

• 4 large leeks, cleaned, trimmed and sliced
• 15 g (½ oz) butter
• 170 ml (6 fl oz) dry white wine
• salt
• 1 tablespoon finely-chopped fresh or frozen lovage leaves
• 90-110 g (3-4 oz) Dolcelatte cheese, cubed
• 60-90 g (2-3 oz) roasted pine kernels
• grated fresh Parmesan cheese, to serve

In a wide, shallow pan, sweat the leeks for a few minutes in the melted butter. Add the wine and a little salt, cover the pan and simmer gently until the leeks are nearly cooked. Take off the lid, add the lovage leaves and allow the cooking liquid to reduce until it is syrupy and concentrated in flavour. Just before serving, stir in the cubed cheese and pine kernels.

Pour the sauce into drained hot pasta, stir and serve on warmed plates. Pass around the Parmesan for those who want it.

SERVES 2

Recipe copyright © 2001 Catherine Mason | other sample recipes