A big bowl of pasta makes me seriously happy. Really, really, happy. I think pasta triggers a dopamine response in my brain. It's a little like heroin.
Remember in Brokeback Mountain when Jack says to Ennis, "I wish I knew how to quit you." I feel the same way about pasta. I just can't do it. And I won't switch to whole grain pasta. I tried that ugliness before and those were dark days. How many people out there eat whole grain pasta instead of the regular stuff?
Don't be afraid of this neon green sauce. It's different: with more bite then basil pesto, but just as fresh.
Ingredients - Arugula Pesto
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 cups arugula
- 3 tablespoons chopped walnuts
- 1/3 cup of good olive oil
- 1/3 cup of Parmesan reggiano cheese
- splash of rice wine vinegar
- black pepper to taste
Ingredients - Other
-
tablespoons of toasted pine nuts
- 8 slices of prosciutto
- 1 box of rigatoni
- Parmesan cheese for topping off
Directions
Boil rigatoni until al dente; drain
Lightly heat prosciutto in a frying pan (you want to cook it until it's light pink; about 30 seconds on both sides)
Toast pine nuts
Blend pesto ingredients in food processor
Toss pesto over warm pasta and heat for a few minutes.
The heat mellows the bite of the arugula and garlic.
Add pine nuts and prosciutto and serve right away
Serves 4 to 6
