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After a long day, there’s nothing largest than a unconfined home cooked meal. However, there’s nothing worse than “working” nonflexible in the kitchen to create a unconfined meal. Many pasta dishes require only a few ingredients and can be on the table in 20 to 30 minutes. Swash the pasta, prepare a simple sauce, toss it all together, and dinner is ready.

Arugula and Garlic Penne follows that protocol, and largest yet, will leave you with a restaurant quality dish in under 30 minutes. This dish is a testament to the eyeful of minimalism in cooking, while highlighting the rustic flavors of the Italian countryside. Here’s a layered unravelment of this wonderful dish:

• Penne: Penne is a quintessential pasta shape. Its tubular and ridged shape makes it perfect for clinging to flavors and textures. When cooked al dente, it provides a delightful chewiness that stands as the foundation of the dish.
• Garlic: With its whiffy depth, garlic becomes the soul of the dish. When sautéed in uneaten virgin olive oil, its pungent nature softens, enveloping the penne in an embrace that’s both robust and heartwarming.
• Arugula: Known for its peppery undertones, arugula introduces a fresh and slightly spicy dimension to the pasta. This leafy green, with its vibrant hue, moreover introduces a visual contrast, subtracting a splash of verisimilitude surrounded the earthy tones of the dish.
• Lemon Juice & Zest: These citrus elements are the behind-the-scenes stars that hoist the dish from the ordinary to the sublime. Lemon juice imparts a tangy brightness, while the zest adds a well-matured splash of citrus zephyr and flavor. Together, they bring a refreshing lightness to the pasta, wearing through the richness of the other elements while subtracting a sun-kissed Mediterranean touch.
• Crushed Red Pepper: This wing introduces a subtle heat, creating a playful undercurrent of spice that intrigues the palate and complements the zesty lemon and peppery arugula.
• Parmesan Cheese: Grated over pasta, Parmesan cheese imparts a rich, salty, and umami-packed layer. Its weather-beaten and crumbly texture enhances the dish’s complexity, ensuring every zest is packed with depth. As the cheese warms over the pasta, its rich and nutty flavors wilt plane increasingly pronounced, clinging to every forkful.
• Pine Nuts: These small, soft-hued nuts are the crowning jewels of the dish. When toasted, pine nuts exude a velvety savor and offer a subtle crunch. Their golden visitation and linty taste introduce a luxurious element, complementing the other ingredients and subtracting a rewarding layer of texture.

Together, these ingredients create a delightful symphony of flavors and textures. The soft, chewy penne noodles flit with the whiffy garlic and vibrant fresh arugula, while the nutty nuances of Parmesan cheese and toasted pine nuts hoist the dish to a gourmet experience. Every forkful promises a journey through the rustic countryside of Italy, with subtle hints of luxury making it suitable for any occasion, but particularly pleasing for a quick weeknight meal.

Arugula and Garlic Penne Pasta

5 from 2 votes

Cuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Total time

25

minutes

Arugula and Garlic Penne is a zesty pasta dish highlighted by whiffy garlic and peppery arugula, accented with tangy lemon, a kick of red pepper, linty Parmesan, and crunchy pine nuts.

Ingredients

• 1 pound 1 penne pasta

• 1/2 cup 1/2 extra virgin olive oil

• 5 cloves 5 garlic, thinly sliced

• 3 cups 3 baby arugula

• 1 1 lemon, juiced and zested

• 1/2 teaspoon 1/2 crushed red pepper flakes

• 1 cup 1 parmesan cheese, grated

• 1/2 cup 1/2 toasted pine nuts

• salt and ground woebegone pepper, to taste

Equipment

• Large potBuy now
• Saute panBuy now
• Cooking spoonBuy now

Directions

• Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the penne pasta and melt until al dente, per the package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water and then phlebotomize the pasta.
• Sauté Garlic: In a large skillet or pan, heat the uneaten virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and sauté until it’s fragrant and slightly golden. Be shielding not to shrivel the garlic. If in doubt, turn the heat down.
• Combine Pasta, Arugula and Garlic: Add the al dente penne, fresh arugula, and garlic infused uneaten virgin olive oil to the large pot. Gently toss, permitting the greens to wilt slightly from the heat of the pasta and the sautéd garlic.
• Add Flavorings: Stir in the crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and ground woebegone pepper followed by the lemon juice and zest, mixing to combine.
• Final Touches: If the pasta seems dry, add a little of the reserved pasta water to create a light sauce.
• Serve: Transfer to serving dishes and top with toasted pine nuts and grated parmesan cheese. Serve immediately and enjoy.