Pasta with Arugula, Tomatoes, Feta and Toasted Garlic

I really love arugula, also known as rocket. It’s absolutely perfect in salads and pasta dishes.
Last night’s dinner required me to use up some ingredients I had on hand–tomatoes and feta. The arugula was bought for a salad I’ll be making for tonight’s dinner–it’s gonna be SO good. And I always have tons of garlic on hand. And there we are–the makings of a great pasta dish.

I remember having a similar meal one time at my husband’s aunt’s home a few summers ago on for Sunday night dinner. It was so refreshing! I was glad I remembered it before I made something less refreshing and less interesting.

For lunch today, I will be tossing the leftovers with some white balsamic vinegar and olives for a great cold pasta salad.

Pasta with Arugula, Tomatoes, Feta, and Toasted Garlic
original recipe

Ingredients:
1 lb. spaghetti or another pasta (I use gluten-free)
2 cups arugula, washed and dried
3-4 Roma tomatoes
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (or as much or little as you like)
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
salt and pepper

Instructions:
Bring 6-8 quarts of water to a boil in a very large pot. (I use a stock pot.)

Drop the tomatoes into the water and boil for a few minutes until the skins split. Transfer the tomatoes into a bowl of ice water. Let sit for a few minutes until tomatoes are cool enough to handle.

After the tomatoes have been removed from the stock pot, salt the water generously. Add the spaghetti and cook until the pasta is al dente. (About 7 minutes or so.)

In the meantime, slip the skins off the tomatoes and roughly chop them. Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a small skillet and add the minced garlic. Cook garlic over medium heat until it starts to turn golden. Remove from heat to keep the garlic from burning. Set aside until the pasta is cooked.

When pasta has finished cooking, drain and place in a large bowl. Add the arugula, chopped tomatoes, crumbled feta, toasted garlic, and the rest of the olive oil. Toss to incorporate.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Yield: 6 servings as a side dish, 4 as a main dish


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8 Comments

  1. this looks AMAZING! i’ve never cooked my own tomatoes before like this and i’m going to try! i love your blog and how your recipes are so yummy!

  2. I first fell in love with arugala in Italy when I had a fresh pile of it topped on my pizza. Delish! I’ve never had it in pasta though, and can’t wait to try it out.

  3. I made this last night and took it on a picnic. It sounded fresh enough that it did not need to be served hot. It was fantastic! Simple, fresh, delicious! One of your recipes has, once again, made it to our favorites binder. Thank you!

  4. Just made this one again tonight! Love it! We’ve had it a few times now. I’ve reduced the amount of arugula and feta and added more garlic and tomatoes. I also salt the tomatoes before adding them to the pasta. De-lish!

  5. I found your blog by typing up the ingredients and searching after deciding I wanted to make this…I added sweet onion to the garlic saute and pine nuts. It was fabulous, thanks for the guidance on the proportions!

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