Lovers' pasta

For 2 people

100 g durum wheat flour

50-75 ml water

the tip of a knife of saffron

1 teaspoon salt

sliced vegetable ham (preferably soft and thin slices)

4 tablespoons of vegetable cream (possibly of oats)

2 tablespoons of brandy

1 small leek

1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil + 2 teaspoons black peppercorns

Mix the flour with 1 teaspoon of oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and water (lukewarm) in which you have thoroughly dissolved saffron; knead until the dough becomes smooth and compact.

Let rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator covered with a damp cloth.

At this point pull the dough with a rolling-pin up to a thickness of 2 mm (if you have, use the pasta machine); with a cookie cutter, cut into hearts and arrange them, as, on a cloth sprinkled with semolina. Let air dry for 30 minutes.
[This can be done in advance: the pasta, cut, you can freeze and bake just extracted from the freezer]

Wash the leek and discard the outer leaves; cut slightly oblique washers and put them aside, separating the whites from the green one.

Cut hearts from vegan ham, saute in a skillet with 1 tablespoon of hot oil, add the leek (before the green part, after 2 minutes the white one) and let it wither with a pinch of salt, blending with brandy poured little by little. Remove from the pan and keep aside, hearts, warm; add the leeks and cream and turn off after 1 minute.

Try to ensure that the pasta and leeks are cooked at once, putting to wilt the vegetables as soon as you begin to cook the pasta. Once cooked, drain and put in the pan for 1 minute with the cream and Leek.

Place in serving dishes pasta place sliced, those hearts, forming a flower or another decoration; sprinkle with freshly ground pepper, decorated with a few pieces of leek (cooked) and serve!

You can also make different shapes of pasta, and replace the vegan ham with smoked tofu or seitan from dice, if they found more easily.