Mistakes happen and, unfortunately, one resulted in a return trip to North Peninsula Veterinary Emergency Clinic at 3 a.m. on Jan. 21. After Rookie was diagnosed with pancreatitis, the veterinarian put her on metronidazole and sucralfate. She was recovering nicely and then started stumbling and suddenly lost use of her legs.
It turned out Rookie was suffering from metronidazole toxicity – there was an error in the prescription … and I was giving her 10 times the amount required. She had to stay at the hospital for 10 days, under the care of multiple doctors and a neurologist, before I could bring her home. (Rookie still can’t walk, but I’m amazed that she pulled through and seems to be in good spirits.)
All this to say, I finally got around to preparing baked pasta with leeks and anchovy cream over the weekend. I planned to assemble the dish last Sunday but was in no mood to cook, as I waited anxiously for updates on Rookie’s status.
Baked pasta with leeks and anchovy cream may sound like an odd combination, but it’s delicious. With a generous amount of heavy cream and Parmesan cheese in the recipe, how could it not be? Serve the mélange as is or with a green salad and some protein for a more filling meal.
Recipe adapted from Bon Appétit.
- 12 ounces rigatoni
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 leeks (white and light green parts only), halved lengthwise and then cut crosswise into ½"-thick pieces and rinsed
- kosher salt, to taste
- 11 anchovy fillets in oil, removed from oil
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- ¾ teaspoon Aleppo pepper
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more, to taste
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- 2 cups frozen peas, thawed
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- In the same pot used to cook the pasta, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add leeks, season with salt, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to brown, about 8 minutes.
- Add anchovies, garlic, Aleppo pepper and black pepper and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes.
- Add heavy cream and ¾ cup Parmesan cheese and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and add cooked pasta and peas; stir to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Transfer mixture to a greased 9" square baking dish.
- Top with remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and bake for 25 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
