Leeks can stay stringy even when finely sliced. Once softened, they blend into the sauce without visible vegetable pieces; a stick blender works if you use a tall jug.
Main DishesHigh protein Creamy Leek Pasta
Leeks soften in olive oil before being blended with lat Cream into a thick sauce. Grated emmental melts into the warm mixture, and red lentil fusilli catches the sauce in its twists. The recipe gives a lot of fiber and protein.
Ingredients
Pasta
Sauce
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Preparation Steps
Soften the leeks
Trim, split and thoroughly wash the leeks, then slice them thinly. Heat the olive oil in a large covered frying pan over medium-low heat and cook the leeks for 15 to 18 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pale and very soft. Add the finely minced fresh garlic during the last 1 to 2 minutes, stirring regularly until fragrant without letting it brown.
Cook the fusilli
While the leeks soften, cook the red lentil fusilli in a pot of boiling water according to the packet instructions until tender with a slight bite. Reserve some of the pasta cooking water before draining.
Blend the sauce
Blend the softened leeks with the oat cream, salt, black pepper and some reserved pasta cooking water for 1 to 2 minutes, until completely smooth with no leek strands visible.
Melt the emmental
Return the sauce to the frying pan and warm over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes until gently steaming. Remove from the heat and stir in the finely grated emmental until melted; do not let the sauce boil.
Coat the pasta
Add the drained fusilli and toss for 1 to 2 minutes until every piece is coated. Stir in the rest of the reserved pasta cooking water as needed to loosen the sauce.
Recipe insights
How to hide the leeks in the sauce
How to keep the emmental sauce smooth
Finely grated emmental melts more evenly when the sauce is warm and the pan is off the heat. Boiling after adding the cheese can make it stringy or cause the sauce to separate.
Swapping oat cream
You can add more protein to the meal by using silken tofu instead of oat cream, the texture might be a bit more dense, so you'll need to add more water to the sauce.
Recipe builder
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Lentil & bulgur bowl with walnuts
- Green lentils, dry240 g
- Bulgur, dry200 g
- Baby spinach300 g
- Cherry tomatoes300 g
- + walnuts, olive oil70 g
- Per serving
- 545 kcal
- Protein
- 25 g
- Fibre
- 16 g
Energy from
- Protein 18%
- Carbs 57%
- Fat 25%
Nutrition from Health Canada · CNF 2026
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