Dinner Tonight: Pasta with Arugula and Tomatoes Recipe

Updated August 09, 2018

I picked this one out from Lidia's Italy, a book with some wonderful recipes. Most of her pasta dishes are bare bones, and this one is no exception. It's kind of a tomato sauce, but only cooked for five-ish minutes, leaving the tomatoes bright and sugary. The arugula adds a little bitterness, and the red pepper flakes provide a nice bit of heat.

I couldn't find any cavatelli (the preferred pasta for this creation), strascinate (the second pick), or even humble orecchiette (which I really should have been able to find). So I used this shell-shaped pasta called conchiglie rigate—a shape that was new to me. But it more than worked. It trapped the sauce, surprising some bites with unexpected flavor.

Recipe Details

Dinner Tonight: Pasta with Arugula and Tomatoes Recipe

Prep 5 mins

Cook 20 mins

Total 25 mins

Serves 4 to 6 servings

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Ingredients

1 pound pasta
3 cups cherry tomatoes (about 1 pound), rinsed
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 pound arugula
1/2 cup Pecorino Romano
Salt

Directions

Chop the tomatoes up into half-inch pieces. Pour the olive oil into a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant, about one minute. Add the chopped tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes until they have softened, about five minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil. Sprinkle in a few tablespoons of salt. When boiling, add the pasta and cook according to the direction on the box. With about six minutes left in the time, add the arugula to the pot. Reserve half a cup of pasta water, and drain the pasta and arugula.
Turn the skillet with the tomatoes back to medium high, and then toss in the pasta and arugula. Stir together, and cook for a minute or so, adding some of the reserved pasta water if it is too dry. Season with extra salt and freshly grated cheese.

Pasta Mains

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
414	Calories
12g	Fat
62g	Carbs
14g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories	414
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g	16%
Saturated Fat 3g	13%
Cholesterol 7mg	2%
Sodium 696mg	30%
Total Carbohydrate 62g	23%
Dietary Fiber 4g	14%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 14g
Vitamin C 17mg	84%
Calcium 159mg	12%
Iron 3mg	19%
Potassium 504mg	11%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.