Description
Try this vibrant green arugula pasta dish for an easy weeknight dinner that’s ready in under 30 minutes. The recipe combines simply: Creamy and bold arugula pesto is tossed with piping hot pasta, raw arugula leaves, sun-dried tomatoes, and toasted pine nuts.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 10 ounces cavatappi or another pasta shape
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 10 cups baby arugula, divided (two 5-ounce packages)
- 1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (see Tip), plus 2 tablespoons more for serving
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup drained finely chopped oil-packed sun dried tomatoes
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup of cooking liquid and drain well.
- Meanwhile, make pesto. With the motor running, drop garlic through the feed spout of the food processor fitted with a steel blade attachment; process until minced. Stop the machine and add 5 cups arugula cheese, ¼ cup pinenuts, oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, pulse, and then process, scraping down sides as necessary, until the mixture is a smooth paste.
- Add pesto to the cooked pasta with the remaining 5 cups of arugula, sun-dried tomatoes, and 2 tablespoons of pinenuts. Toss well adding cooking liquid to thin if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
To toast pinenuts: Bake at 350°F until lightly golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
Make Ahead: Pesto can be made up to 1 week in advance.
Storage: Store any leftover pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 ¼ cup
- Calories: 501
- Fat: 25 g
- Carbohydrates: 57 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 13 g