Since 1994, Mud Australia has created elegant and timeless porcelain homewares.
The original Mud Australia store opened in Woollahra in 2007. Since then we’ve opened 14 stores globally.
Serves 4
This warming recipe comes from Ben Slater, chef and recipe developer behind @slaterchef, whose cooking is rooted in a deep love of simple, well-made food.
Drawing on memory, mood and what’s in the fridge, Ben’s recipes are designed for real life, the kind you return to again and again. Thoughtful without being precious, his approach celebrates flavour, comfort and the quiet pleasure of cooking for yourself and others.
"One-pot pasta are three words I don’t usually welcome together. They are often followed by a daunting list of dried herbs, evaporated milk, faux cheese and invariably, something tinned. Which is why this recipe feels like an antidote. Yielding leeks and smoky pancetta lend their fragrance to good chicken stock (it’s worth buying the proper stuff here), creating the calm, savoury conditions pasta needs to thrive. The result is a steaming pot of comfort, quietly improved by the method rather than compromised by it." — Ben
Ingredients
Olive oil — 1 tbsp
Pancetta — 150g, smoked and cubed
Leeks — 3 large, washed and trimmed
Garlic cloves — 3, peeled and sliced
Chicken stock — 1L, good quality
Dried pasta — 300g, short shape (such as rigatoni or fusilli)
Ricotta — 100g
Lemon — 1, zested and juiced
Sourdough — 2 thick slices
Fresh dill — 20g, chopped
Sea salt and black pepper — for seasoning
Method
Pour the olive oil into a large saucepan and set it over a low heat. Add the pancetta and let sit as the fat begins to melt, turning translucent and fragrant. While this happens, roughly chop the leeks and finely mince the garlic.
Once the pancetta is lightly coloured, add the leeks and garlic. Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring now and then, for 8–10 minutes, until the leeks have collapsed into something soft and sweet.
Pour in the stock and bring it to the boil, then add the pasta. Let it simmer gently in the stock for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente.
While the pasta cooks, spoon the ricotta into a bowl. Finely grate over the lemon zest and whisk until smooth and light, seasoning generously with salt and black pepper. When the pasta is a few minutes from ready, toast the bread, then spread thickly with the ricotta and cut each slice in half.
Season the pasta stew with salt and a squeeze of lemon juice. Divide between bowls, balance the ricotta toasts on top and finish with generous fronds of dill.