Autumn Pasta with Grilled Broccoli and Leeks
1 crown broccoli
2 leeks
1 box good rigatoni pasta
3 chicken sausages
1 pack bacon
2 tablespoons butter
1 lemon
Handful tomatoes, sliced in half
Handful mozzarella, freshly grated
Handful Cotswold cheddar, freshly grated
2 oz goat cheese

 

1) Heat grill to 400ish. Cut broccoli into small-ish chunks and divide onto two sheets of aluminum foil. Sprinkle with garlic sea salt. Toss with a bit of olive oil to coat. Fold each foil so that you have a little packet. Cut two leeks lengthwise and slice in half. Rinse and pat dry. Cut into slices. Throw on a third sheet of foil. Season with herbed sea salt. Toss with olive oil. Fold into a tidy packet. Throw all three packets on heated grill. Cook time will vary but mine took about thirty minutes.2) Heat a Dutch oven. Cut bacon (I used a whole packet minus three strips) into chunks and throw into Dutch oven. Cook bacon until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and let drain on a paper towel.

3) While your bacon is cooking, boil water for pasta. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Life tip: laying a wooden spoon over the top of the pot will keep water from boiling over.

4) Throw sausage on the grill. Be sure and flip halfway through cooking time. Heat according to package directions.

5) Drain grease from Dutch oven. (Do NOT use a plastic cup. It will melt the cup. Don’t ask me how I know this. I would obviously never put hot bacon grease in a plastic cup…) Add butter to Dutch oven. Squeeze a whole lemon right the pot, being mindful not to drop seeds in. Add a splash of olive oil and stir well. Throw in a handful of sliced tomatoes. They will start to dissolve into the lemon-butter for a delightful, quick sauce. Mmm!

6) When your pasta is perfectly al dente, drain water and toss pasta into Dutch oven. Grab your packets and sausage from the grill and throw the broccoli and leeks in. Slice sausage, throw in pot. Add bacon and your cheeses. Stir well, giving your mozzarella time to do its thing and giving your goat cheese time to become part of your sauce.