Pappardelle with Arugula Walnut Pesto and Blistered Tomatoes
Our favorite arugula walnut pesto is back! This pasta dish is perfect for a Friday or Saturday night. So easy but looks and feels gourmet. Delicious and your family won’t even know they are eating arugula - promise!
Serves 4
Ingredients:
Arugula Pesto:
1/2 cup walnuts
2-3 cloves garlic
2 cups arugula
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup grape tomatoes
Olive oil
Kosher salt
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 lb pappardelle pasta
1 cup baby arugula
To Serve:
Fresh basil
Freshly grated Parmesan
Directions:
Fill a large stockpot 3/4 full with water. Generously salt and bring to a boil.
While waiting for water to boil, prepare pesto. Using a food processor, pulse together the ingredients in a few steps. First add walnuts and garlic and pulse until ground. Add arugula and basil. Pulse again until combined. Add salt, pepper, lemon juice and olive oil. Pulse again. Add Parmesan and pulse a final time until desired consistency. Set aside.
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 1-2 Tbsp olive oil to bottom of pan. Add grape tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook 8-10 minutes, moving around often in pan. You want tomatoes slightly blistered (wrinkled skin on exterior). Remove tomatoes from heat and set aside.
Wipe off skillet and heat over medium heat. Melt butter. Add breadcrumbs and coat with melted butter. Turn down to low and let breadcrumbs brown, roughly 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Add pasta to boiling water. Cook one minute less than package directions. Reserve one cup of pasta water.
Add pesto to bottom of serving bowl. Use tongs and remove pasta from boiling water and add directly to bowl. Add roughly 1/3 cup reserved pasta water. Toss noodles. Add remaining arugula. Be gentle but combine well. Taste for seasoning and consistency. Add more water or seasoning as needed.
Plate pasta. Add blistered tomatoes and crispy breadcrumbs to top. Garnish with fresh basil and extra Parmesan cheese.