Caramelized Leeks in a Creamy Pesto Sauce

I love experimenting with food, it is a gamble but often yields unusual and delicious results. This particular dishes came out of a combination of using up what was on hand and a craving. I knew that I wanted to do a creamy pasta dish, I have such a weak spot for it, but I wanted to make it unusual. At first I resigned myself to just add some pesto to the sauce and be satisfied with that. But then I noticed the leeks in the fridge and I thought it would be fun to add some to the dish. But I didn't want to just saute them, I wanted to really bring out the sweetness of them, so I decided to caramelize them. Now I had caramelized onions before so I guessed that it wouldn't be too dissimilar. In the end I threw in some onions as well. The dish turned out wonderful and get my taste buds wondering what else I could do with caramelized leeks.

Caramelized Leeks and Onions in a Creamy Pesto Sauce

2 Tbsp butter or olive oil
1 small onion, chopped

1 leek, white part only chopped

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp sugar
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 Tbps butter
2 Tbps flour
2 c. milk
1/2 c. grated Romano cheese

Pesto

2 c. fresh basil leaves, packed
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/3 c. walnuts
3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine the basil and walnuts and pulse a few times in a food processor, add the garlic and pulse a few times more.  Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add cheese and pulse until blended. Season with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Set aside 1/2 cup of pesto and store the rest in a sealed container in the fridge. *These are the instructions I have for my recipe, I was in a rush and threw all of the ingredients in at once. While it does work okay, the results aren't the same.

Heat 2 Tbsp of butter or oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, add the leeks and onions and stir to coat. Sprinkle with the salt and sugar.  Turn the heat to low and cook for 20-30 minutes until they’re all brown and caramelized.

In a sauce pan heat garlic in 2 Tbsp of butter and stir until aromatic, about 1-2 minutes.

Add flour to sauce pan and mix until mixture becomes a paste. 

Add milk and heat on low heat, stirring continuously until sauce thickens. 

Add cheese, salt and pepper to taste; stirring until cheese has melted. 

Stir in pesto.

Pour over pasta and top with leek mixture.