July 17, 2020
I can’t believe we are half way through July. It seems like it was just yesterday when Kevin and I started working from home. Almost four months later and we are still working remotely. The best part about being able to work virtually is suddenly freeing up all of the time we used to spend getting ready in the morning and commuting to work. Less commuting means more time testing out new recipes in the kitchen for me and additional time catching up on gaming sessions for Kevin. Over the last few months, I have been spending a ton of time brainstorming new ideas, testing them out in the kitchen, and capturing the process of making each dish from start to finish. Some experiments have led to pretty delightful recipes (see my colorful dumplings, pistachio biscotti, and five spice spare ribs). Other experiments have led to perplexed expressions on Kevin’s face. No matter how many recipes I’m test driving in the kitchen, one recipe I keep coming back to is my cheesy lemon pasta with arugula. I make it at least once per week whenever I want a quick, super tasty meal in less than 30 minutes. The pasta usually starts off with ½ a package of spaghetti, fettucine, or penne. I grab the first pasta shape I see in my pantry and cook the pasta according to the package instructions until the pasta reaches al dente perfection. Depending on the day, I could be reaching for whatever bits and pieces of leftover pasta shapes I have sitting in my pantry after making baked pasta. I would leave the pasta to cook in boiling salt water while I grated a couple ounces of Parm and zested a whole lemon. Once the pasta was ready, I toss in the grated cheese, lemon zest, and blend of black and white pepper. I would wait anxiously for the timer in my kitchen to notify me when the pasta was done. The moment the timer rings, I drain out most of the pasta water, toss in the goodies, and have my cheesy lemon pepper pasta ready for serving. For some much-needed greens, I drop in some arugula. Violà — dinner is ready! I love making this pasta on days when I’m running a bunch of back to back errands or am just plain starving after a busy day. The best part about this pasta is how simple, tasty, and speedy it really is to pull together in the kitchen. I save the leftover lemon to make some minty lemon tea (or lemonade) for a refreshing drink to help wash down the pasta. The pasta is so good, I usually finish the whole batch in one sitting. If, in the rare instance, I have any left, I just toss the leftovers in a container and save it for lunch the next day. My cheesy lemon pepper pasta with arugula is the perfect quick, tasty dinner to help me wind down after a long day.
For the cheesy lemon pepper pasta with arugula:
· 6 ounces dry penne pasta
· 2-3 ounces Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
· 1 lemon
· ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
· ¼ teaspoon white pepper
· ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
· 2 ounces fresh arugula
Directions:
1) Cook the pasta according to package instructions. As the pasta is cooking, grate the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and zest the whole lemon.
2) When the pasta is done cooking, reserve about ¼ cup of pasta water. Drain the rest of the pasta water. Toss in the grated cheese, lemon zest, kosher salt, white pepper, and black pepper. Continue tossing the pasta until each piece of penne is covered in cheese, lemon zest, salt, and peppers. Top with fresh arugula right before serving.
Takeaways: My cheesy lemon pepper pasta also works well with thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta. For another simple pasta dish, check out my cacio e pepe rigatoni with bacon and arugula.