Pasta with Lemon, Arugula and Grape Tomatoes

Homemade pasta is delicious. If you’re a frequent reader, you’ll know that I’ve made a few different versions of fettuccine since getting my pasta maker over the holidays, including lemon-pepper, red pepper, whole wheat, and spinach.

Pasta sauce is also delicious. In fact, I’ve written posts about a few of the sauces that I’m especially fond of, including my meaty marinara, and beef bolognese.

Herein lies the problem with creating flavored pasta. Pasta can be a magical delivery system for robust and flavorful sauces like those l just listed, but when the pasta itself has a specific character in itself, a rich sauce can overpower its subtle nature.

To my wife’s great approval, this has encouraged me to branch out beyond tomato sauces, and create simple recipes like this one.

I made this recipe with the remainder of my roasted red pepper and garlic fettuccine, using stuff that I had on hand (read: buried in the recesses of the refrigerator).

While it’s hard to label a pasta recipe as being ‘light’, this is probably as close as it gets. I wanted to feature the sweet, roasted flavors of the pasta, so I chose ingredients that would emphasize them. The sweet-tart citrus, the sweet tomatoes, and the peppery arugula all served to compliment the pasta without overwhelming the flavors. While I made this with my flavored pasta, the flavors are rich enough that they would be a wonderful sauce on their own.

Ingredients:

• ½ lb pasta (roasted pepper and garlic)
• 1 cup grape tomatoes – halved
• 2 cloves garlic – minced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ¼ cup pasta water reserved
• 2 cups arugula
• ½ lemon – zest and juice
• grated parmesan for serving

In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium.

Add the garlic, and stir until lightly browned – 1-2 minutes.

Stir in the tomatoes, and saute in the garlic oil for 1 minute, until the tomatoes begin to soften.

Add the remaining ingredients, and stir them together. Continue stirring until the liquid disappears and the arugula wilts.

Serve with grated parmesan.