We Welsh are known for a few things: sheep, rain, male voice choirs, rugby, coal and Charlotte Church, but from a culinary point of view, the food that screams 'Wales' the loudest is the humble leek... it's our national emblem, for goodness's sake - we pin them to our chests on March 1st!

To the shame of my nation, I've never really known what to do with these over-sized spring onions; this long time staple of hymn-singing miners. Of course, there's good old leek and potato soup, and they sautée up quite nicely as a side dish, but what else?

I found leek nirvana this morning in an idle moment while watching the leek episode of 'Jamie at Home' on Channel 4 On Demand. The first recipe was a pasta dish of parpadelle with a sauce of leeks, garlic and thyme, braised slowly in white wine and stock beneath a blanket of parma ham. For extra interest, the finished dish was sprinkled with pangrattato; a medly of breadcrumbs and bashed up dried porcini, fried with garlic and rosemary.

Well, I watched it twice, jotted down some notes, headed to my local green grocer and dug out my pasta machine for the first time this year. The resultant dish was a marvel: soft egg pasta, buttery unctuous leeks and smoky prosciutto, beneath a dusting of garlic and rosemary scented crumbs... as Jamie said, 'If you get this dish on your repetoire, you'll be cleaning up at the dinner party awards.'

I quite agree, and I urge you to try it!

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by pasini

It looks delicious! I will try it for shure.

by john_lee

Have you got the recipe? People are discussing it here: http://www.jamieoliver.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=28876

by pasini

Thanks!

by DeniseH111

How about that!  I found it inspiring to see that episode as well!  I won't be making my own pasta...kudos to you on that!.....but bought fresh pappardelle so I'm hoping the dish is at wonderful as it sounds!