Spaghetti with Arugula Pesto

Hugh Acheson's recipe for arugula pesto from The Broad Fork is wonderful.  The kids love it and I make great batches of it, often freezing the pesto in meal sized containers to be used later for a quick pasta meal or to top homemade pizza.  Hugh's recipe calls for thinly sliced salami added at the end.  Feel free to add it if you wish.  He suggests 2 ounces.  Instead, I sometimes add roasted cherry tomatoes, or serve alongside Jamie Oliver's Mothership Tomato Salad.  Mmmmm!

Spaghetti with Arugula Pesto

Sea salt, to taste

3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

3 cups arugula, washed and pat dry

1 garlic clove

1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for shaving

½ teaspoon cracked black pepper

3 ice cubes

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 lemon, zest only

1 pound dried spaghetti

In a blender or food processor, combine 2 cups of the arugula, 2 tablespoons of the toasted pine nuts, garlic, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, 1 teaspoon sea salt, pepper, and ice.  Blend on high for one minute then slowly add olive oil.  Scrape the sides of the bowl and, once the pesto is smooth, add the lemon zest, stir, and set aside.

Cook pasta in boiling salted water to al dente. Drain the pot into a colander and add the pasta right back to the pot.  While the pasta is still hot, add the pesto, the remaining 1 tablespoon of pine nuts, the remaining 1 cup of arugula and season with salt.  Combine the ingredients over low heat for about 30 seconds.

Serve with shaved parmesan and, if desired, thinly sliced salami.  Or, stir in some roasted cherry tomatoes for some colour and sweetness.  That's what I like to do.