Leek and Pancetta Quiche (2024)

This delicious spring quiche is made with caramelized leeks and salty pancetta, it's the perfect way to incorporate spring garden items into your menu this season. Leek and pancetta quiche makes for a wonderful breakfast brunch or even dinner dish.

Leek and pancetta quiche is great any time, but it's especially tasty when made using in season leeks in the spring months! I highly recommend trying it for a holiday brunch, easy appetizer or even an easy spring dinner menu item.

Ingredients

This seasonal leek quiche incorporates nine simple ingredients that combine to make the perfect spring dish.

• Large eggs
• Whole milk
• Caramelized leeks
• Diced Pancetta
• Butter
• Cheese blend
• Salt
• Pepper
• Make ahead Kamut® pie crust

See recipe card for quantities.

Making Leek and Pancetta Quiche

Clean and slice your leeks into ¼ inch rounds. Add to a preheated cast iron, or ceramic pan with 1 tablespoon of butter. Sauté the leeks until they are translucent. While the leeks are cooking, dice your pancetta or bancon. I typically use something that I have already cooked at least partially to avoid an overabundance of oil. If you choose to use ray bacon you may need to drain some of the oil.

Combine the leeks and pancetta or bacon and allow to caramelize a bit. the leeks should be tender and sweet and the pancetta should be well cooked but not crispy. Remove from heat.

While the leeks caramelize it's a great time to get your pie crust into your tart or pie pan and whip up your egg and cheese mixture. I start by pressing the pie crust into the pan and whisking the eggs together with the milk and then add the cheese in.

Once your mixture is made and the leeks and pancetta or bacon is fully cooked I like to add the two into the pie crust by layering them. I usually start with a small layer of leek and pancetta, followed by the egg mixture, top with the remainder of the leeks and and then the remainder of the egg mixture. Top with the extra cheese.

Hint - how to avoid a soggy quiche bottom: By scoring the bottom of the quiche crust and layer the vegetables and met on the bottom of the quiche you should avoid a soggy crust. Blind baking is not necessary in my experience.

Substitutions

There are several substitutions for leek and pancetta quiche that yield similar results.

• Bacon - if you don't have pancetta available this recipe is just as delicious with diced bacon. I highly recomend!
• Pre-made pie crust - Instead of making your own crust ahead of time you can substitute with the store bought version.
• Extra veggies or meat - Quiche is so versatile, if you want to add in extra leeks or sub out the meat, play around with the recipe. Quiche is forgiving and delicious in so many varieties.

Variations

Their are some simple variations of this recipe that I have tried that you may want to try as well.

• Herbs - add add fresh thyme to the egg mixture. This gives the quiche a little something extra.
• Asparagus- Try making the asparagus variation of the quiche, it is different but oh so good!
• Mini Quiches- Make this quiche into mini muffin sized quiches for a great appetizer or quick breakfast.

Equipment

Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Stone bakeware takes longer to heat up than metal pans, and also retain heat for longer, which could make the recipe more watery, or burnt on the outsides.

For this recipe I like to use a ceramic dish that does take longer to heat up but it continues to cook the quiche when removed from the oven. You may need to adjust your cooking time based on the kind of cookware you chose to use.

Storage

This quiche can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

You can also freeze this recipe when fully cooked and reheat for a quick meal or easy appetizer.

Top tip

Making this recipe when leeks are in season will lead to the very best results. If you can't currently find fresh leeks, try making this quiche with a different vegetable.

More Recipes