Arugula is just as wonderful cooked as it is raw, and this pasta is my favorite way to enjoy it. The barely cooked, peppery arugula adds a brightness to this lightly sauced tomato and arugula pasta with pine nuts. You'll find yourself making this one over and over again.
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Why this Recipe Works
This arugula pasta uses ingredients with a long shelf life, pantry items, and winter-friendly produce, making this a go-to pasta year-round.
The arugula is cooked by adding it to a strainer and pouring the cooked pasta over it. This quick-cooking of the arugula is a great shortcut and keeps the arugula from overcooking and becoming slimy.
The sauce is light but very flavorful creating a hearty, delicious meal that doesn't leave you feeling heavy.
Ingredients & Substitutions
arugula - a peppery green in the spinach family. You can substitute with spinach for a milder flavor addition.
shallot - a mild onion. You can substitute with half an onion.
pepperoncini - you can find these in the pickle aisle of your grocery store. You can substitute with any pickled peppers.
How to Make this Recipe
Bring a pot of water to boil. In the meantime, start your sauce by heating the olive oil over medium/medium-high heat. Add the pepperoncino, shallot, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes. Cook until the shallot is translucent.
Add the tomatoes, crushing them in your hand as you drop them in. Also add the tomato juice from the can. Taste and adjust seasoning. If it tastes too acidic, add a pinch of sugar.
Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer. Cook uncovered until the desired sauce thickness. In the meantime, cook the pasta. Strain the cooked pasta Add the pasta to the sauce.
Add the arugula to your colander and strain the pasta over the arugula. Add the pasta and arugula into the sauce and mix well. Sprinkle with pine nuts and parmesan and serve!
Arugula FAQs
Yes, and it's delicious! It tastes best lightly cooked or sauteed. Be careful not to overcook or it will become slimy.
Yes, cooking arugula reduces the bitter taste in it. Older arugula can taste more bitter than young arugula, so if you would like to eat it raw, look for a younger arugula.
Yes, you can eat it raw in salads, on top of pizza, in sandwiches, and more. It tastes great cooked in pastas, soups, and even simply sauteed.
More Delicious Pasta
Pasta is great for easy, weeknight dinners, and it can be very versatile. It's easy to get into a pasta rut, but we try to switch it up with recipes like this arugula pasta. Here are some other favorites of ours:
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Arugula Pasta with Tomatoes and Pine Nuts
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 pepperoncino minced, or other pickled peppers
- 1 shallot finely chopped, or ½ onion
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 28 oz can whole tomatoes
- 3 cups arugula packed
- 1 lb. pasta
- ¼ cup pine nuts toasted
- 2 tablespoon vegan parmesan or regular parmesan, for serving
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to boil.
- In the meantime, start your sauce by heating the olive oil over medium/medium-high heat. Add the pepperoncino, shallot, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes. Cook until the shallot is translucent.
- Add the tomatoes, crushing them in your hand as you drop them in. Also add the tomato juice from the can. Taste and adjust seasoning. If it tastes too acidic, add a pinch of sugar.
- Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer. Cook uncovered until the desired sauce thickness.
- In the meantime, cook the pasta. Strain the cooked pasta Add the pasta to the sauce.
- Add the arugula to your colander and strain the pasta over the arugula. Add the pasta and arugula into the sauce and mix well. Sprinkle with pine nuts and parmesan and serve!
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published in May of 2017 but was republished with new photos, step by step instructions, FAQs, and tips in February of 2021.
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