Very Green Pasta
Pasta is a no brainer dish that takes such little time to prepare. It seems like the perfect pantry staple to keep on hand when you have a hungry group to feed every day. (Hi, moms!) My problem is always figuring out how to balance out the carb dense pile of pasta with a bit of protein and seasonal veggies in a way that doesn’t tack on a ton of cooking time. Serving the pasta with fish is the perfect way to match short cooking times, but then what do we do for the veg? Let’s blend it up and make sauce! I love using arugula to make a simple pesto to coat the pasta. You’re getting vitamin rich greens, mixed with olive oil and parmesan with a hint of lemon and garlic, all of which are chock o’block full of nutrition. Call it whatever you want to sell it to your family, we just call it what it is, a very green pasta that just happens to be delicious. Hint: boiling the garlic in the pasta water mellows the spicy bite and gives it a sweeter flavor that plays more to children’s palates!
Makes 4 servings
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
about ¼ cup pasta water
¼ cup olive oil
2-3 handfuls of fresh arugula
½ cup freshly grated parmesan
½ teaspoon of salt, to taste
juice from 1 lemon
4 servings of your favorite pasta, we love angel hair!
Directions:
Grab your blender pitcher and put the olive oil, arugula, grated parm, salt, and lemon juice in. Set it aside, ready to go when the pasta is ready. Now, boil your pasta water. If you’re using angel hair (our favorite) make sure the pot is tall enough. When the water is boiling, drop the garlic cloves in. Let them boil for about 5 minutes and remove. Add those to the blender as well. Now, let’s cook the pasta. I usually break the pasta is half as I add it to the pot so it cooks more evenly. Follow the pasta cooking directions, angel hair only takes 3 or 4 minutes! When the pasta is done, take a cupful of water and set it aside. Drain the pasta and let it sit for a moment. Meanwhile, blend the green sauce in the blender, adding tiny splashes of the reserved pasta water until it runs smoothly. Add the pasta back to the pot, with the green sauce and stir to coat. Give it a taste and add some more salt or parm if needed. Enjoy while hot!
