Linguine with Arugula pesto

Linguine al pesto di Rucola

I have a lot of wild spicy arugula in my back yard. So today I made an Arugula pesto. This dish is for the arugula lovers and it will taste great if you use the freshest wild arugula  you can find.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: just the time to boil pasta

Serves 2–3

Ingredients:

¼ pound (110 grams) fresh arugula leaves

¼ cup (60 milliliters) extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
½ cup (120 milliliters) pine nuts
½ cup (120 milliliters) freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Salt, about 1 tablespoon
8 cups (2 liters) water
½ pound (approximately 250 grams) linguine pasta

Method:

1.        Blend together the arugula, oil, garlic, pine nuts, and cheese, reducing to a thick puree. At this point, taste the sauce and add  salt if needed. If the sauce is a little bitter (perhaps due to the quality of arugula), you can add more cheese or pine nuts to correct the taste.

2.        Meanwhile, bring the water to a boil in a large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt. Add the pasta and boil it, stirring often, until al dente. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add the arugula puree and mix well. Serve immediately.

Notes:

·         Many people like to use Parmigiano-Reggiano (or Grana Padano) cheese in place of the Pecorino Romano for this dish.