This dish is a perfect combination of pantry staples and fresh produce. It comes together quickly but what it lacks in complexity it makes up for in flavor, my personal favorite comfort pasta dish.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1/2 package spaghetti
- 1 cup white wine
- 2 cups fresh arugula
- 2 cups baby bella mushrooms
- 1 lemon
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup grated pecorino/parmesean cheese
- salt/pepper
- parsley (optional)
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a hefty sprinkling of salt, this will help season the pasta. Cook 10 minutes, just about al dente but not quite.
While your pasta is boiling, rinse and slice your mushrooms, once sliced give them a couple rough chops with your knife to make the pieces slightly smaller. Next, finely dice your garlic. Lastly, use a lemon zester to zest a tablespoon or so of lemon zest, set aside.
Reserve 1/2 cups starchy pasta water before you drain, this will help give the sauce a glossy finish and smooth consistency.
While the pasta still has a slight firmness to it, drain into a colander and set aside. Next, add a few tablespoons of olive oil to the pot your pasta was in, it should already be pretty hot, so give it a few seconds and then add in your garlic. Sauté until fragrant and then add in your mushrooms and let them soften for a couple minutes.
Add in your white wine, a dry white like Chardonnay or Chenin Blanc is best, but any white table wine will do, try and avoid sweet wines with high sugar content (Moscato, Pinot Grigio etc) and let simmer a minute or so until the alcohol can burn off, once you’ve let it simmer, give a few generous squeezes of your lemon. Next add your pasta back in and combine with your reserved pasta water and arugula. Your heat should be on medium high, continually toss the pasta gently so it can finish cooking in the sauce, really absorbing all the flavors. To finish, season with salt and (lots) of pepper, (I also like to use a bit of fresh ground lemon pepper from Trader Joe’s) and lemon zest.
Spoon your pasta into bowls and top with a generous amount of grated pecorino or parmesan (don’t skip this step, you’ll regret it!) A bit of fresh parsley also compliments this dish well if you have it on hand.
Enjoy
