One Pot Pasta with Zucchini, Garlic Scapes, and Leeks in a White Wine Lemon Sauce
A vegan self-saucing one pot pasta dish inspired by spring vegetables. The end result is al dente pasta with zucchini, garlic scapes and leeks in a silky and slightly creamy white wine lemon sauce.
Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped leeks (and minced garlic if substituting for the garlic scapes). Stir and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the leeks are somewhat softened.
Add the pasta, garlic scapes, zucchini, spices, and lemon zest. Pour the lemon juice, white wine, almond milk, and vegetable broth over the top.
Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Keep partially covered, and stir frequently, cooking until the pasta is done to your liking and the liquid is thickened - about 7-10 minutes.
Add salt to taste. Serve topped with fresh basil. The sauce will thicken up a little more once cooled.
Notes
To use white, instead of whole wheat pasta, increase the liquid by about 1 cup (please note that I haven't tested yet with this recipe, but a similar substitution has worked in other recipes). Other pasta shapes should also work. My opinion is that spaghetti/linguine are the best choice, since the more textured pasta shapes can get slightly gummy - they still taste great, though.If you intend to use this for leftovers then I would recommend adding another small drizzle of olive oil to the cooking liquid, to help keep the pasta from sticking together when it cools.In the blog post I describe how to clean and prep leeks and garlic scapes if you don't know how.If you don't have access to garlic scapes, then feel free to substitute 2 tablespoons of minced garlic and add it at the same time as the leeks.