Baked Pasta with Artichokes, Leeks and Saffron Oat Milk Bechamel

This dish was born as a lasagne and has morphed into a baked pasta over the years. While I loved the lasagne version, this version is somehow a million times better. The recipe was inspired by something I saw in my Esselunga (an Italian supermarket chain) magazine years ago. I adjusted it to suit my needs, by adapting the bechamel to be vegan and gluten free and making a few other adjustments. It’s been on seasonal rotation ever since and is one of our favourite artichoke centric meals.

Bechamel or white sauce, is typically made with full fat milk that is thickened by a roux, a mixture of butter or oil and flour or starch and it’s one of the 5 basic sauces of classic cooking. Years ago when I learned macrobiotic cooking, I learned an alternative way to make bechamel, using plant based milk and kudzu which makes it oil, gluten and grain free and is way easier to make than the original in my opinion because it requires less technique than stirring milk into a roux, which can result in a very clumpy sauce if you haven’t mastered it.

My preference is kudzu root, for it’s healing properties, but it can be a bit difficult to find and somewhat pricey. Arrowroot is a perfectly good substitute and is also gluten and grain free.

For the pasta, my go to is buckwheat tortiglioni or mezze rigatoni, preferably rigate, the Italian term for ribbed. They’re sturdy and don’t break apart when baked, and their tube shape and ridges trap the bechamel, so every bite is nice and creamy.

The only downside to this dish is the time it takes to clean the artichokes, making it a bit more difficult if you’re pressed for time and need to get dinner on the table fast. But let me tell you, fresh artichokes are totally worth the trouble. If you’ve never worked with them, check out this article for all you need to know about this delicious thistle and how to prepare it.

If you’re the kind of person who meal preps, you could clean and cook your artichoke and leek mixture in advance and store it in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days. Then all you have to do is boil the pasta while you whip up the bechamel, assemble and let the oven do the rest. It cuts the prep time in half, at least and you can enjoy this delicious baked pasta any night of the week without much fuss.

Baked Pasta with Artichokes, Leeks and Saffron Oat Milk Bechamel

Author Nissrine Boufawaz @ HolisticNiss.com

Time 60 minutes
Difficulty Moderate
Servings 6
Diet vegan, gluten free
Category Main Course

Ingredients:

Artichoke & Leek Mixture:

1 kg (about 6-8) Fresh Artichokes
Lemon Water Bath (large bowl of filtered water with juice of 1/2 a lemon added)
1 Leek stalk
Pinch of fine sea salt
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Saffron Oat Milk Bechamel

3 Cups Oat Milk or Plant Milk of Choice (no sugar added)
3 Tbsp Kudzu or Arrowroot Powder
Pinch fine sea salt
1 Pouch Saffron Powder (about 1/2 tsp)
Pinch Grated Nutmeg (optional)
3 Tbsp of Filtered Water

For Assembly

340g Pasta (I use 100% buckwheat tortiglioni)
2-4 Tbps Nutritional Yeast
Greens Parts of Leeks, sliced into strips/strings and blanched

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 180 C.
Prepare a lemon water bath in a large bowl. Clean the artichokes by slicing them in half horizontally, removing the prickly points and tearing away the rough outer leaves, until you get to the tender leaves on the center, just short of reaching the hearts. Slice them in half lengthwise and use a small spoon to remove the prickly centers from the base of the heart. Slice them in quarters or eigths and add them to the lemon water bath until they are ready to use. Strain the well once ready to use.
Slice the leek stalk in half horizontally, dividing the white and light green part from the dark green part. Slice the white and light green part into thin rounds, wash and set aside. Slice the green parts lengthwise into strips/strings, wash and set aside.
In a skillet or wok, sautée the leek rounds on medium heat with a pinch of fine sea salt until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Add the strained artichokes and 1/3 cup of water and sautée for 8-10 min on medium heat, adding and additional 1/3 cup of water as the water dries out. Once artichokes are tender and all the water has been absorbed, remove from heat and set aside.
Quickly blanch the green leek strips/strings by placing them in boiling water for about 2-3 minutes until wilted. Remove from water and set aside.
To prepare the Bechamel, add plant milk to a small pot over medium-low heat. Dilute the kudzu or arrowroot powder and saffron in water. Once milk is hot, but not boiling, add the diluted saffron kudzu/arrowroot mixture and a pinch of sea salt and nutmeg (if using) whisking vigorously to combine. Continue to cook, whisking continuously, until the bechamel is thickened, yet still a bit fluid, then remove from heat. It will thicken more as it cools and once it bakes.
Cook pasta in boiling salted water, according to package directions for al dente and once the pasta is ready, strain and immediately toss with the prepared artichokes and leeks.
Spread a small amount of bechamel on the bottom of an oven safe baking dish, add the pasta, artichoke and leek mixture and pour the bechamel over top, making sure to submerge the pasta completely.
Top with blanched leek strips/strings and nutritional yeast and bake at 180 C for about 30 minutes or until the top is slightly browned and the bechamel is bubbling.
Serve immediately and store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat leftovers, remove from the refrigerator and let it come down to room temperature, then place it in an oven safe dish, with a couple of drops of water on the bottom, cover it to prevent it from drying out and place it in the oven for about 15 minutes at 160 C.