Penne Pasta with Arugula and Cherry Tomatoes

This is a nice dish that I put together after eating something similar in a restaurant. I love the peppery flavor of arugula and like to use it in risotto and with pasta. Paired with the cherry tomatoes and a little white wine and you end up with a very flavorful dish.

Sometimes I use pancetta affumicata, smoked pancetta (you could probably use bacon in the states), as in this picture, but more often than not I make it without the pancetta. It’s just as good and is a little lighter.

So, here’s what you’ll need. This feeds 2 people when used as the main dish and I usually have some left overs

100 grams pancetta affumicata (optional)
200 grams cherry tomatoes – split in two
100 grams arugula – washed with some water still clinging to it
You’ll want to cut this into smaller chunks if the leaves are very big
2 cloves garlic – chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1 Tablespoon olive oil
salt
150 grams penne pasta

By the way, I do weigh my pasta when I cook. If not, I have a tendency to cook too much and then it just gets wasted. The arugula will cook down considerably too. If you really like arugula, feel free to add more. To be honest, I rarely measure it anymore and just throw it in by handfuls until it looks right.

This dish cooks up quickly too, without a whole lot of prep time, with the sauce cooking up while the pasta is cooking.
So, start your pot of salted water cooking for your pasta.

In the meantime, in a large frying pan or saltapasta, over medium heat, heat the olive oil. If you are using the pancetta, add it now and let it get just a little brown. Once it is brown, throw in the garlic and let simmer for a minute or two. If you are not using pancetta, throw your chopped garlic in the oil. But, be careful not to toast it, just let it simmer for a few seconds, then add in the arugula and stir. The arugula will quickly start to wilt. Once it is all uniformly wilted, add in your cherry tomatoes, letting them cook for a few seconds. Add salt and stir occasionally, allowing the cherry tomatoes to give up some of their juice. Now add your half cup of white wine and stir that in, coating all the ingredients. At this point, turn off the heat and cover the pan to allow the flavors to mix.

By this time your pasta water should be boiling. Cook your pasta until al dente. Once the pasta is almost done, turn the heat back on under your frying pan. If it looks a little dry, add a little of the pasta water to the pan. Now drain your pasta and add it to the pan, stirring it in with the other ingredients so that the pasta really picks up the flavors. Turn of the heat and it’s ready to serve.

If you like grated parmigiana, you can certainly add it to this dish, but I find it perfectly flavored without it and, if using pancetta, I find the parmigiana to be a little too much. But, feel free to add it if you like it. O, of course, adds some chopped up hot pepper to his. This is Abruzzo, after all.

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