This One Pan Roasted Leek Pasta is the kind of recipe that saves you money, saves you dishes, and still tastes like you put in way more effort than you did.
Here in Ukraine, leeks start showing up at the market as soon as the cold weather sets in, and I always end up grabbing more than I planned. Once they roast together with garlic and sun-dried tomatoes, the smell alone feels like a little hug from the oven. The best part is squeezing out that soft roasted garlic — it turns into the creamiest sauce without any effort. Mix it with pasta, coconut milk, and lemon, and you’ve got the coziest one-pan dinner. It’s the kind of meal you want to eat under a blanket with a good movie… though honestly, there’s a good chance you’ll finish half the pan before you even press play.
▶️ Video Tutorial
💚 Why You’ll Love This One Pan Roasted Leek Pasta
- 🧄 Creamy & garlicky – roasted garlic brings the most amazing depth of flavor.
- 🥬 Full of veggies – leeks and sun-dried tomatoes make it hearty and wholesome.
- 🍋 Bright & fresh – a touch of lemon and parsley keep it from feeling heavy.
- 🍝 Simple – just one pan, minimal prep, and dinner is ready.
- 🌱 Plant-based – completely dairy-free but still luxuriously creamy.
🧺 Ingredients You’ll Need
- 🥬 Leeks – 3 medium, sliced into half-moons (400–450 g / 14–16 oz)
- 🧄 Garlic – 1 whole head, roasted until soft and sweet
- 🍅 Sun-dried tomatoes – ½ cup, packed in oil, sliced (70 g / 2.5 oz)
- 🫒 Olive oil – 2 tbsp (30 ml)
- 🧂 Salt – 1 tsp (6 g)
- ⚫ Black pepper – 1 tsp (3 g)
- 🌶 Smoked paprika – 1 tsp (2 g)
- 🌿 Oregano – ½ tsp (1 g)
- 🌶 Red pepper flakes – ½ tsp (1 g)
- 🥥 Coconut milk – ½ cup (120 ml)
- 🍝 Pasta – 3 cups farfalle, cooked (250 g / 9 oz cooked)
- 🍋 Lemon juice – from ½ lemon (about 1 tbsp / 15 ml)
- 🌿 Fresh parsley – 1 handful, chopped (15 g)
📋 How to Make One Pan Roasted Leek Pasta
1 .Roast the veggies. In a baking dish, add the sliced leeks, garlic head, and sun-dried tomatoes. Season with salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Drizzle with olive oil, toss well, cover with foil, and bake at 400°F (200°C) for 40–45 minutes.
2. Add the garlic. Remove the dish from the oven and carefully squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of the head directly into the dish.
3. Make it creamy. Add the coconut milk, lemon juice, parsley, and hot pasta. Stir until everything is coated in a creamy sauce. Serve warm and enjoy!
👩🍳 Cooking Tips for One Pan Roasted Leek Pasta
🌿 Don’t skip covering with foil — it helps the leeks become soft and caramelized without drying out.
🍝 Add the pasta hot — this helps it absorb the creamy sauce beautifully.
🍋 Taste before serving — you might want an extra squeeze of lemon for brightness.
✨ Leeks aren’t just delicious when roasted — they’re also full of goodness. Packed with vitamins A, C, and K, plus fiber and antioxidants, they’re a simple way to add more nutrients to your plate. I love that leeks have a mild, sweet flavor that makes them feel special, but they’re still budget-friendly and easy to find. If you’d like to learn more about the amazing benefits of leeks, check out this helpful resource.
🔀 Recipe Variations
- 🫛 Add spinach or kale at the end for extra greens.
- 🍄 Toss in some sautéed mushrooms for a heartier dish.
- 🌶 If you like heat, double the red pepper flakes.
- 🧀 Sprinkle with nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan for cheesy flavor.
🫙 Storage & Make-Ahead
🧊 Storage:
Keep leftover One Pan Roasted Leek Pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
🔥 Reheat:
Warm gently on the stove with a splash of water or coconut milk to loosen the sauce.
⏳ Make-ahead:
You can roast the leeks, garlic, and tomatoes ahead of time, then just reheat and toss with pasta when ready to serve.
🍽️ What to Serve With One Pan Roasted Leek Pasta
This pasta is cozy and filling on its own, but it becomes an even more special meal when paired with a few fresh sides:
🍆 Vegan Stuffed Eggplants – tender and hearty, they make such a beautiful main or side next to pasta.
🥬 Creamy Vegan Cauliflower Steaks – rich, flavorful, and perfect for soaking up that creamy leek sauce.
🍆 Eggplant “Meatballs” – soft on the inside, slightly crisp on the outside, and a fun plant-based twist that goes so well with pasta.
🥒 Chickpea Cucumber Salad – light, refreshing, and the perfect way to balance the creaminess of the pasta.
🍅 Marinated Tomatoes – juicy, tangy, and full of summer flavor that brightens up the whole plate.
💡 Tip: This pasta tastes even better if you let it sit for 5 minutes before serving — the flavors settle and get even cozier.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely — penne, rigatoni, or spaghetti all work well.
Yes, oat cream or cashew cream will make it just as creamy.
You can, but roasting the whole head makes the flavor so much deeper and sweeter.
📝 Final Thoughts
Every time I make this One Pan Roasted Leek Pasta, it reminds me why I love simple, cozy cooking — it’s quick, stress-free, and somehow feels like so much more than the effort it takes. Roasting the leeks and garlic makes the sauce taste so rich and special, even though it’s just a handful of everyday ingredients. I hope it brings the same comfort and warmth to your table as it does to mine.
Give it a try, and let me know how it turned out — I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
📄 Scroll down for the full One Pan Roasted Leek Pasta recipe card with step-by-step instructions.
✨ More Pasta Recipes :
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio with Spinach
One Pan Roasted Leek Pasta
Video Tutorial
Ingredients
- 16 oz leeks 450 g
- 1 head garlic
- 2 tbsp olive oil 30 ml
- 1 tsp salt 6 g
- 1 tsp black pepper 3 g
- 1 tsp smoked paprika 2 g
- ½ tsp oregano, dried 1 g
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes 1 g
- ½ cup coconut milk 120 ml
- 3 cups farfalle pasta, cooked 250 g
- 1 tbsp lemon juice 15 ml
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped 15 g
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes 70 g
Instructions
- In a baking dish, add the sliced leeks, garlic head, and sun-dried tomatoes. Season with salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Drizzle with olive oil, toss well, cover with foil, and bake at 400°F (200°C) for 40–45 minutes.16 oz leeks, 1 head garlic, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp oregano, dried, ½ tsp red pepper flakes, ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes
- Remove the dish from the oven and carefully squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of the head directly into the dish.
- Add the coconut milk, lemon juice, parsley, and hot pasta. Stir until everything is coated in a creamy sauce. Serve warm and enjoy!½ cup coconut milk, 3 cups farfalle pasta, cooked, 1 tbsp lemon juice, ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
Notes
🔀 Recipe Variations
- 🫛 Add spinach or kale at the end for extra greens.
- 🍄 Toss in some sautéed mushrooms for a heartier dish.
- 🌶 If you like heat, double the red pepper flakes.
- 🧀 Sprinkle with nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan for cheesy flavor.
Awesome! I add cannellini for protein and increase the yummy sauce.
Francesca, that sounds SO good 🤍 Cannellini beans are such a perfect addition for extra protein and texture. And yes to more sauce — I always feel like you can never have too much 😄 Thank you for sharing your twist!
We are cooking this up right now, but one thing I do want you to know is that on the bottom half of the page where it just gives us the recipe ingredients, the sun-dried tomatoes and not listed.
Thank you so much for catching that, Debra! I really appreciate you letting me know. I just added the sun-dried tomatoes to the ingredient list — sorry about the oversight! 💚