Casarecce, Lemon, and Arugula. Fresh, Fast, The Easiest Summer Pasta Ever.

 
No one likes to cook on sweltering summer days, and I'm no exception, but sometimes there's no excuse, cook we must. Last week we had a short brutal heat wave here in Sonoma, where temps stayed at 100 + for a few days. It also happened to coincide with a visit from my cousins who live in Portland Oregon.

Things were cool and pleasant when they left the north. The first stop was in San Francisco at my cousin Amys' house where I heard it was cool and foggy. Then came Sonoma, the direct opposite of that. Of course we had certain blandishments that my 8 year old cousin just couldn't resist....mainly Tyrion. Kids and dogs are made for each other and speaking for Tyrion, he had the time of his life! High-fiving (the only trick Tyrion knows.)

So when not relaxing in air-conditioned comfort, my cousin had his heart set on going to Train Town, our local amusement park. It was over 100 degrees that afternoon  at 1:00 pm and we were nearly nearly the only people there. The last time they visited, my cuz was too little go on the rides he wanted  but this year it was roller coasters all the way, planes.

And hey, never ride a ferriswheel with metal seats, in shorts in blazing sun. It gets ouchy and that's putting it mildly. So after all that outdoor adventuring we wanted to eat something light, summery, and above all easy. Which brings me to Pasta with Lemon and Arugula. This is a no-recipe recipe, in that one can do almost anything with it. Dress it up, dress it down, eat it hot or cold. Here's what I did.

Here's What You Need:

1 Box of pasta. ( I used Casarecce shape, but Fusilli, or Penne would work well also.)
3 oz baby arugula
2 tsps lemon zest
3 Tbs olive oil
3 Tbs unsalted butter
3/4 cup of grated  pecorino or romano cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Here's What To Do:

Boil the pasta.

While that's happening, prep your lemons and arugula.

When the pasta is done, drain it and add it to a skillet filled with the arugula,.

Stir it around. The arugula will wilt. This is a good thing.
Now, add the lemon zest...

...the butter...

...lemon juice, and olive oil.

Mix everything together, so the pasta is well coated. Add salt and ground black pepper to taste.
Now for the cheese, mix that in now.

And there you are. Done and delicious.

Grind a few twists of black pepper on top and that's it. This makes up in a bout 20 minutes which is more than enough time to spend in a hot kitchen on a broiling summer day. I even sauteed a few shrimp in white wine and tossed those in. Don't be afraid to mess with this recipe because that's what a no recipe recipe is. A dish that is anything you'd want it to be.

Coming up next, we go back to the 18th century and a grand feast in search of a  palate cleanser.
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