Arugula Pesto Pasta with Garlicky Breadcrumbs
An easy twist on basil pesto made with baby arugula! Bright, peppery in flavor, and affordable to make, this arugula pesto pasta is a great weeknight dinner for every season. Topped with garlicky breadcrumbs, this elegant pasta will quickly become a favorite! This recipe yields one cup of homemade pesto, which will generously coat at least 1 lb of cooked dried pasta.
Ingredients
Garlicky Breadcrumbs:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup sourdough breadcrumbs
- 1 garlic clove very finely minced
- kosher salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Arugula Pesto Pasta:
- 3-4 large garlic cloves
- 5 ounces baby arugula
- 3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts plus more for garnishing
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup finely grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
plus more for serving
- kosher salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 12 ounces dried pasta *I recommend bronze-cut rigatoni, fusilli, trofie, farfalle, or spaghetti
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Prepare the Garlicky Breadcrumbs: Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet. Add the breadcrumbs and toast for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until they are golden and crispy. Season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic and continue sautéing for an additional 30 seconds or so. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
- Prepare Arugula Pesto: Pulse the garlic cloves in a large food processor until finely minced. Add the arugula, pine nuts, lemon juice, and olive oil. Pulse until mostly smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve one cup of the pasta cooking water and drain the pasta in a colander. Transfer the pasta back to the same pot, add the arugula pesto, grated parmigiano cheese, and toss until evenly coated - adding a couple splashes of pasta cooking water as necessary.
- Serve the arugual pesto pasta with a sprinkling of garlicky breadcrumbs. Top with additional toasted pine nuts (as desired) and grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 555kcal, Carbohydrates: 42g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 39g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 30g, Cholesterol: 7mg, Sodium: 568mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 2g