Salsify Pasta with Creamy Leek Sauce
Salsify Pasta?
This was my first time ever cooking and eating salsify (schorseneren in Dutch). If it weren’t for the blog and our list of seasonal veggies I don’t think I would’ve discovered this on my own. And it definitely did not disappoint. It’s a funny looking long dark tuber that looks like a dry branch. I had to read up on salsify to at least understand what I was getting myself into. It was described by many as the winter asparagus. And once peeled it definitely has an asparagus vibe. I don’t know how popular this veggie is elsewhere, but here in the Netherlands you can definitely find them at the market. It’s in season from October all the way through February. A proper winter veg and before the season is over I’ll have to give it another go. But salsify pasta with leak sauce was a hit with the boyfriend.
Tip!
When buying make sure the salsify is dry and doesn’t have any soft bits. Look for the straighter ones to create long pasta strands.
Everything is Pasta, Get with It!
The same way cauliflower can be steak, rice, cous cous or mash. Other veggies have had to step up to cover for pasta. Basically, you can turn every veggie you can imagine into pasta if you like. Sometimes nature helps along with spaghetti squash but you can also use a spiralizer to make noodles from for example sweet potato. For the long strands seen here in the picture all you need is patience and a good sharp knife. I took my time to slice each salsify root into the desired thinness to create a very believable pasta looking dish.
Tip 2!
You don’t want to overpower the dish with mustard flavor. Check how strong your mustard is and add bit by bit to have just the right amount lingering.
Creamy Leeks
Apparently creamy leeks on its own is a common side dish for thanksgiving in the US that I was unaware of. I just wanted to create a leek sauce because the sweet taste of leeks seemed perfect for it. Apparently, I wasn’t the first one to come up with that. So technically you could have the leeks on their own without adding the salsify. It’s up to you. Once it cooks down it really turns into this soft cream. It was surprisingly filling. Because I used only plantbased ingredients if you omit the bacon you basically have a vegan dish.
Veggies Masquerading as Noodles:
Salsify Pasta with Creamy Leek Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 kg leek about 3 leeks
- 1 kg salsify
- 3 shallots thinly sliced
- 200 ml vegetable stock
- 200 ml almond cream
- 100 ml olive oil
- 1 tbsp mustard
- 50 ml dry white wine
- salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 125 gram bacon bits optional
Instructions
Prep Salsify
- Brush the salsify clean under running water to remove any dirt. Do not peel yet.
- Fill a big pot with water and set to boil with some salt and 1 tbsp white vinegar. Once the water is boiling at the salsify to the pot for 10 minutes. It won’t be completely cooked at this point but will make it easier to peel.
- After 10 minutes remove from the pot and run under cold water to cool down and peel the skin off with a vegetable peeler.
- Once peeled submerge in water to prevent oxidation. If not submerged they will turn a rusty brown color. Won’t affect the flavor but it won’t create the pasta look.
- Slice them into thin equal strips like pasta. It’s important they are about the same thickness so they all cook at the same rate. Set aside in water while you make the sauce.
Leek Sauce
- Chop off the dark green bits of the leek, slice in half lengthwise and clean. By removing the outer layers of the dark green top, you get to a light green center which you can still use.
- Slice into thin strips.
- In a large sauté pan heat up 50 ml of olive oil and add the shallots to cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the leeks to the pan with a little bit of salt to remove moisture, stir together and allow to cook for 5-7 minutes. Leeks will get fragrant and soft but not brown.
- Deglaze the pan with 50 ml dry white wine. Allow to cook down and evaporate for about 3-4 minutes before adding 150 ml of stock and all the cream.
- Add salt and pepper and cover to cook undisturbed for 10 minutes.
- Remove lid and stir in the mustard. It will thicken the sauce within a few minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a separate pan add the remaining olive oil to heat up and add the salsify sprinkle with a little salt and stir everything together.
- Slowly add the leek sauce to the pan with the salsify while stirring to combine everything together. Once you’ve added all sauce, pour remaining stock and cover for 7 minutes. Remove cover to check whether the salsify is cooked through. It all depends on how thick you sliced them. So, they might need more if they are more on the thick side. Remove lid and finish cooking on low to remove any excess liquid.
Optional Topping
- You can add bacon as a topping or keep it as is for a completely vegan dish. If you’re adding bacon. Fry the bacon bits in a pan till crispy and remove with a slotted spoon. Serve salsify pasta in a bowl topped with bacon bits. Drizzle a little bit of the bacon fat on top and enjoy.