This Recipe is part of the Mid-Summer Feast Early Harvest Menu
Sure, arugula is a fine salad ingredient, but it also makes a spicy and versatile pesto. Here it is mixed with shrimp and cherry tomatoes to dress spaghetti, a dish that will have you out of the kitchen in no time—something that is never more welcome than in the summer.
Ingredients
1 pound spaghetti
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 pound extra-large (21 to 26 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup Arugula Pesto
Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving
Directions
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti and cook according to the package instructions just until tender. Scoop out and reserve ½ cup of the cooking liquid. Drain the spaghetti in a colander.
2. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, just until they turn opaque, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to a plate.
3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet and heat. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook until they are heated through, about 2 minutes. Transfer to the plate with the shrimp. Season the shrimp and tomatoes with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Return the spaghetti to the warm pot. Add the shrimp and tomatoes with the pesto. Stir to combine, adding enough of the reserved cooking liquid to loosen the pesto. Season again with salt and pepper. Serve hot, with the Parmesan passed on the side.
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Excerpted from Summer Gatherings by Rick Rodgers. Copyright © 2008 by Rick Rodgers. Excerpted by permission of HarperCollins. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. Buy the book now.
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