Why Gordon Ramsay’s favorite 10-minute pasta makes the family meal every week: I tried it and now know

A quick recipe to try

The cook chose Ramsay’s turkey and leek pasta with crispy sage breadcrumbs as their first recipe from “Ramsay in 10.” Ramsay presents it as a faster alternative to Bolognese, describing a creamy sauce intended for a midweek family meal. Breadcrumbs are optional in the cookbook, but the cook recommends making them. They tore two slices of bread into pieces and processed them, finding the preparation easy.

Preparing the pasta and sauce

The cook first brought salted water to a boil. Although Ramsay suggests preparing shallots and garlic as the oil heats and slicing leeks just before adding pasta, the cook did the chopping in advance to avoid feeling rushed. They also soaked the sliced leeks in cold water to clean them.

In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, the cook warmed two tablespoons of olive oil, then added the shallots and garlic. After cooking them for two minutes with regular stirring, they broke up the turkey with a wooden spoon and browned it for about three to four minutes.

Penne took longer to cook

The cook added penne and cooked it until al dente. Ramsay’s two-minute timing applies to fusilli, so the cook followed the instructions on the penne package instead. They stirred the ingredients together and brought the sauce to a boil, then lowered it to a simmer until serving. Ramsay recommends reserving two to three tablespoons of pasta water for the sauce.

Finishing with sage and herbs

For the breadcrumb topping, the cook heated olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and added two finely chopped sage leaves. They warned that this step happens quickly and requires close attention to prevent burning.

The cook added finely chopped parsley leaves and lemon zest. They said the extra breadcrumb step was worthwhile, while Ramsay’s recipe description says the dish might become a regular family meal, as it is at his home.