Pasta with caramelized leeks, cream and crispy prosciutto

A very good book I own, entitled 'Will cook for food', states that you should try and think of something different to say about food when you write. "What can I say about a plate of pasta that hasn't already been said", should be a food writer's constant mantra. It's so difficult, though. Really, what can I say about a plate of pasta? The best writers can transport you to a small Tuscan village, where you can feel, taste, hear and smell all the elements around you. Others make you laugh and tell a story intertwined with the dish. Some others can use the food as a metaphor to make a comment about their life or that of others. In my case today, I just want to share this recipe, because it's good. Plus, I want to share with you a way to crisp Prosciutto. Sorry I'm not that exciting.

A few years ago, after buying way too many tomatoes from farmer's markets, I discovered the joys of making my own tomato sauces to be frozen and used in the coming months. A friend I once worked with used to can tomatoes, something I haven't tried yet, imagining all sorts of complicated and pricey equipment. She said it was easy, just some jars and some sterilizing required. The trick is finding a good quality tomato at a low enough bulk price, (probably not from inner-city farmer's markets then). The way tomatoes melt down and produce a thick sauce is pretty magical. The seeds, pulp and skin all seem to meld together and don't bother me in the slightest, although some people prefer to strain the sauce. Add some sort of herb, an onion and some bell peppers and you have a pasta sauce fit for a king. 

This recipe features leeks, caramelized until sweet and soft and then mixed with tomatoes which have been melted down. The trick is to let them cook for ages, as much as an hour, until they are incredibly soft and pliable, otherwise, you will have stringy, chewy bits of vegetable stuck between your teeth for hours.

I'm sure you know that your microwave has many more uses than just defrosting and heating things up, right? And I'm sure you know that poppadoms, prawn crackers and crispy noodles can be successfully puffed up without the use of all that dangerous and messy hot oil. But, your microwave can also crisp bacon, Prosciutto and other pork products, including the crackling. This is not breaking news. However, I still get excited when I do this because of the extremely sensitive and fickle smoke alarm in our apartment. Even the merest wisp of smoke will have the thing panicking and sending out ear-shattering cries for help. It particularly dislikes bacon sizzling away in the pan, which causes it to start shrieking. There are two options to stop this distressful situation. One is to put a bag over it, essentially creating a barrier to stop any smoke reaching it's hysterical surface, or pop the chosen pork product in the microwave for a few minutes. This works especially well with Prosciutto cut extra thin.......

........Allowing it to crisp to this in only two minutes. The smoke alarm is placated and I am free from neighbours wondering why I am torturing the damn thing.

Recipe : Pasta with caramelized leeks, cream and crispy Prosciutto

1 leek, washed well and shredded. (The best way to do this is to fill the sink with cold water and plunge the leek in a few times, as most of the dirt and grit is stuck between the layers).

1 tsp butter and 1 tsp oil

1 bell pepper, cored, seeded and sliced thinly

1 clove garlic, peeled and sliced thinly

8 small cherry tomatoes, halved

4 mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 handful spinach

1 tbsp whipping (or single) cream

1/4 tsp salt or to taste

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp butter

4 thin slices of Prosciutto

Spaghetti for 2

Heat the oil and butter over medium heat in a pan and add the leeks. Stir well, reduce the heat to low, cover and allow to saute for about 30 minutes. Keep checking the pan, adding a little more butter, oil or some water if it gets too dry.

After 30 minutes, add the garlic, pepper and tomatoes, stir well and cover again. Cook for another 20 minutes until the tomatoes and pepper are soft and sauce like. 

Add the spinach, mushrooms and cream and stir well. Cook until the spinach is wilted and the mushrooms soften. Season with the salt and pepper and remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, boil the spaghetti in a large pan of boiling salted water until almost done, drain, reserving a little pan water and set aside.

Place the Prosciutto in a single layer between 4 sheets of paper towel laid on a plate. Microwave on high for 2 minutes until crispy. (If you don't have a microwave, fry until crispy in a pan). Break into pieces and add to the sauce.

Place the sauce back on a low heat, add the spaghetti, a little of the reserved pasta water (about 2 tsp) and the butter. Stir well, cook for a few moments to heat through and cook the pasta a little more and serve with a large handful of grated Parmesan or Cheddar and some paprika sprinkled on top.