You will need
3 leeks or 1 small onion, washed and finely sliced
½ t (2,5 ml) Ina Paarman’s Green Onion Seasoning
1 t (5 ml) butter
2 T (30 ml) olive oil
1 bunch spinach, well washed
1 cup (250 ml) full cream milk
1 T (15 ml) butter
2 T (30 ml) Ina Paarman’s White Sauce Powder
2 T (30 ml) cold water
300-400 g tagliatelle, the fresh one is lovely, if available from your deli
1 T (15 ml) Ina Paarman’s Pasta Spice
2 T (30 ml) olive oil
grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese
Method
Sauté the leeks, pre-seasoned with Green Onion Seasoning, in the butter and oil mixture, until soft and aromatic.
Remove the big stems and cut the spinach up roughly (unless you use baby spinach) and pile it on top of the leeks in the pan. Cover with a lid and wilt the spinach over low heat for about 3 minutes. Switch off the stove and leave to rest while you make the sauce.
Measure the milk in a large measuring jug. Add the butter. Microwave on high for 2-2½ minutes until the milk boils. Mix the White Sauce Powder with the cold water and stir this slurry briskly into the boiling hot milk. It will thicken virtually straight away.
Put the spinach mixture into a food processor or liquidiser, add the sauce and chop up everything finely. Taste for seasoning and add a little more Green Onion Seasoning if it is needed, it must be well seasoned because the pasta is bland. Cook the pasta in plenty of unsalted boiling water until done. Drain. Season the pasta with Pasta Spice and add olive oil. Toss with the sauce. Serve topped with grated cheese.
**Variations:**
The pasta can also be topped with crispy pieces of bacon or you can add some left over chicken or sliced gypsy ham with the sauce when you mix it with the pasta.
