Leek and Bacon Pasta

The combination of leeks, bacon, sour cream and cheese makes for a delicious and creamy pasta sauce that is comforting and flavorful.

Make sure you rinse the leeks well since they can contain grit (see notes).

4.89 from 9 votes

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Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 30

Servings: servings

Calories: 344kcal

Author: Dahn Boquist

Cook the pasta according to package directions and save about 1 cup of pasta water before you drain the water. Make sure you salt the pasta water liberally (use 1 tablespoon of salt for every 3 quarts of water).
Saute the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until lightly browned, about 6-8 minutes. Pour off the bacon fat then add the leeks and cook for about 5 to 8 minutes until tender.
Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt. Cook for 1 minute until the garlic is fragrant.
Add the wine and cook for 3 minutes to burn off the alcohol.
Reduce the heat and stir in the sour cream, cheese, and dijon mustard. Stir until the cheese melts.
Stir the pasta into the sauce until well coated. Add 1/4 cup to 1 cup of pasta water until you have the consistency you like. Check the seasoning and add salt if necessary.
Serve with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

If you don't salt the pasta water when you cook the pasta, you will end up with bland pasta in a flavorful sauce. I can't stress what a difference it makes to add plenty of salt to the pasta water.
Leeks can have dirt between the layers, so it is important to wash them thoroughly. Cut off the root and the dark green portion. Slice them in half lengthwise then slice into thin half-moons. Soak them in a bowl of water and stir them around a bit to loosen the grit. Drain in a colander after you rinse them.
If you don't want to cook with wine, replace the wine with chicken broth.
You can substitute the Gruyere cheese with Jarlsberg, Fontina, Gouda, or Edam cheese. All of them turn out great in this pasta dish.
If you want to replace sour cream with Greek Yogurt, first dissolve 1-1/2 teaspoons of cornstarch in the yogurt and then combine it with the sauce. Since yogurt is lower in fat than sour cream, it will curdle easily. The cornstarch will prevent curdling.
Are you using reduced-fat sour cream? Low-fat sour cream will also curdle easily. Stir 1-1/2 teaspoons of cornstarch into the sour cream to help prevent curdling.