One of my favorite things about the summer is the plethora of fresh ingredients at hand and the ease to make delicious things with them. In the colder months I often crave comfort foods, like lots and lots of melted cheese. Ok, let’s be honest— I always crave lots and lots of melted cheese. But on a hot summer day there is often a desire for something light, fresh, and easy. Enter: the easiest most simple pasta ever.
Angel Hair Pasta with Tomatoes and Arugula
- 1 box of whole wheat angel hair pasta
- Olive oil
- 1 carton grape tomatoes
- 5-7 cloves minced garlic (how garlicky do you love it?)
- A few handfuls of baby arugula
- 1/2 tsp. crushed red peppers
- Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
- Fresh basil
- Parmesan cheese for garnish
1. Boil pasta until al dente; drain and set aside.
2. In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and crushed red peppers to the pan and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and about 2 tbsp. fresh basil to the pan. Allow tomatoes to cook until just beginning to burst, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Add about half of the pasta to the pan and toss with a little more olive oil if needed. Add in arugula and toss just until it wilts, about 2 minutes. Serve in pasta bowls topped with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.
Angel hair pasta takes about 5 minutes to cook, so all told this dish probably takes 15 minutes. Doesn’t get much simpler than that!
