Leek And Mushroom Pasta

Gordon Ramsey always offers up something quick, easy and cost-effective. The recipe here is described as a ‘back to school’ version but you can find this in one of his early recipe books which was all about simplicity in cooking. The recipe is a good one too for skills such as tossing mushrooms in a pan and preparing a leek properly. 

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 10 chestnut mushrooms -cleaned, trimmed and  sliced
• 2 leeks – trimmed, sliced including as a much green as possible. Slice off the end leathery green part and the hard root at the other end. Take a knife and run it down the middle of the leek starting half-way from the end. Turn it over and repeat the cut so that you have 4 quarters.  Rinse the top to get ris of the grit especially from the green end. Cut the leek. 
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove – peeled and chopped finely
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock 
• 150g pasta – lasagne sheets, tagliatelle, conchiglie, penne – apparently any pasta does well here.
• 2 tablespoons single cream 
• Bunch of tarragon – chopped roughly. 

Preparation:

1. bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and then let it simmer when its ready
2. heat up a frying pan or skillet. add a tablespoon of olive oil and let it heat up.
3. Add the sliced mushrooms and stir. Gordon just tosses the pan up and down which turns the slices over and over.
4. prepare the leek as described above and add to the frying pan of mushrooms. 
5. Continue to cooking so that the water in the mushrooms and leeks evaporates off. 
6. Add the chicken stock and let it reduce down by a half. The stock should deglaze the bottom of the frying pan. 
7. Meanwhile, into the simmering boiling water, add the lasagne sheets. Twist the pan to dislodge pasta sticking to the bottom. 
8. Turn the gas down on the frying pan. 
9. Add a couple of tablespoons of single cream top enrich the dish. Bring back to the boil and let it simmer for 3 -4 minutes. 
10. When the pasta is ready – it should just knick with a knife or finger nail, add the pasta to the frying pan. if lasagne sheets are used, these can by lain over the cooking leek and mushroom sauce. 
11. Turn the gas off and let the pasta absorb the flavours from the sauce. 
12. Add the freshly chopped tarragon.