Spring cooking has at all times been about discovering a steadiness between the hearty meals of winter and contemporary cooking with assist from all the attractive spring produce. As such, pasta performs a pivotal function in my conventional dishes and pleasant pasta salads. This arugula pasta salad comes collectively rapidly and is an effective way to make use of a couple of handfuls of greens.
Greens!
Each time I flip round in spring, I really feel like I’ve an abundance of greens. Kale! Chard! Arugula! I add them to all the things. This arugula pasta salad, nonetheless, exhibits simply how straightforward the tender arugula will be so as to add to a meal.
Why mixing issues scorching
Whereas I’ll gladly eat arugula contemporary, the peppery taste can sometimes overpower or really feel too heavy. Slightly warmth can assist with that! Utilizing residual warmth from the pasta and the oil is an effective way to mellow the arugula whereas leaving a little bit of chew.
Should you’d favor a contemporary arugula, let all the things quiet down earlier than combining all of it collectively.
Preserve it vegan
Just like the arugula, utilizing the residual warmth with the feta permits the cheese to impart a small creamy addition to the arugula pasta salad. Should you would favor to maintain the recipe vegan, I like to recommend including a small spoonful of tahini to the oil combine or non-dairy yogurt proper earlier than tossing all the things to lend a creamy factor to the meal.
- 4 ounces (114 g) small-shape pasta
- 1 ounce (28 g) crumbled feta cheese
- 2-3 giant handfuls arugula
- 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup sliced spring onion (or see observe for alternate options)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon medium-heat floor chile (or see observe for different choices)
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Prepare dinner the pasta in salted water till tender, timing it in order that it’s nonetheless fairly heat when all the things else is prepared.
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Place the crumbled feta in a medium bowl. Collect the arugula right into a tough bundle and run your knife via it a couple of occasions to create strips. Place the strips within the bowl with the feta.
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When you’re mainly able to assemble, warmth the olive oil in a small skillet over medium warmth. Add the sliced onion and salt. Prepare dinner till the onion is translucent–it’s okay if it browns in a couple of spots. Take away from the warmth and add the lemon zest, juice, and floor chile.
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Drain and add the new pasta to the bowl with the arugula. Drizzle with the new olive oil/onion combine. Utilizing tongs, toss till all the things is properly mixed. Style and add extra salt if wanted. Eat heat or let cool to room temperature earlier than serving.
Floor Chile: I actually adore Diaspora Co’s Guntur Sannam Chilli after I reference medium-heat floor chile. Nonetheless, in case you have a floor chile you prefer- go together with it! You may swap the bottom chile for floor black pepper if warmth is not your factor.
No Wilted Greens: Should you favor your arugula to take care of the contemporary inexperienced high quality, let the pasta and oil cool earlier than tossing all the things collectively.
Lemon: When you’ve got preserved lemons available, you possibly can swap out the zest/juice for the preserved lemon. I like so as to add a teaspoon or so of rice vinegar to the preserved lemon to offer it a little bit of zing as properly.
