Presto Pasta Night: Farfalle with Arugula Pesto and Tomatoes

Things have cooled off somewhat here, but the weather experts tell us that the scorching heat will be back soon. No surprise, of course.  We always have high temperatures in the summer.  It's still hot, so I prefer simple meals that don't require much time in the kitchen. I also like to see vivid summer colors on my plate, from fresh tomatoes, peppers, greens, and herbs.  When I read this recipe from Williams-Sonoma, I knew it would look as lovely as it would taste. And it did.  The farfalle is coated with a bright green arugula pesto and accented with red and yellow cherry tomatoes.  The entire dish is quickly made in less than 20 minutes, and tastes like....summer.  I think it's perfect for Presto Pasta Night, the wonderful event created by Ruth at Once Upon A Feast. Head over to Ruth's site this Friday for a pasta roundup of all the other Presto Pasta bloggers.

You can prepare all your ingredients quite easily as the water heats for the pasta, and as it cooks.  The pesto is made from arugula, walnuts, pecorino cheese and olive oil in a food processor.  I loved the fresh and nippy taste of the arugula. And if you also love this wonderful leafy green, it will delight you too. However, if you hate arugula, this isn't the dish for you. Try it with a pesto made from another herb, such as basil. 

I used cherry tomatoes from my garden, but you can also use regular tomatoes chopped into small pieces.

The recipe says to mix the pasta, pesto and tomatoes in a large serving bowl, but I used the pasta cooking pot, because I could toss the everything with abandon.  I added about 1/4 cup of reserved pasta cooking water, to make the pesto a little thinner.

The farfalle is a good shape for the pesto, holding little puddles of it onto the pasta.  I enjoyed this dish a great deal--but I like arugula a lot. So, I was happy.

Farfalle with Arugula Pesto and Tomatoes

(Williams Sonoma Savoring Series, Savoring Italy)

6 oz. arugula, tough stems removed (about 4 cups)
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 cup walnuts
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup grated pecorino romano cheese, plus
  shaved cheese for garnish
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb. farfalle
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved, or chopped large tomatoes

In a food processor, combine the arugula, parsley, walnuts and garlic. Process using short rapid on-off pulses until the mixture is finely chopped, 15 to 20 times. Add the grated cheese, salt and pepper. With the machine running, gradually add the olive oil in a steady stream and process until smooth. Set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot three-fourths full of water to a boil over high heat. Salt generously and add the pasta. Cook, stirring frequently, until al dente (tender but firm to the bite). Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking water.

Place the pasta in a large warmed serving bowl along with the pesto. Toss well, adding the reserved pasta water as needed to thin the sauce. Add the tomatoes and toss again. Garnish with the cheese shavings and serve immediately. Serves 4-6.

Comments

[MyKitchenInHalfCups]

That is "breathtaking" and "tummyhappy" salad!
Wonderful salad. Must be Dallas has all the humidity!

[Burcu]

Oh Sher, this looks gorgeous! Arugula is one of my favorite greens. I'll definitely try this.

[Stella]

That looks really good. :D

[Kalyn]

I must try making arugula pesto. Never had it, but I'm sure I would love it. You have that many tomatoes from your garden. I'm very jealous.

[At Home with kim vallee]

It looks like a great summer recipe. I stop by the farmers' market and have a taste of this.

[Deborah]

This looks so wonderful and colorful!! I have a hard time finding arugula, but I will have to keep my eyes open for it to try this out!

[Patricia Scarpin]

Sher, this is delicious! Look at the huge amount of pesto, yummy!

[Katiez]

I do so love pretty food - and this is gorgeous. I have to get out of the tan/taupe rut I've been in.... sigh, maybe it's the gray weather we've been having all summer..
Back to the pasta - all of my favorite flavors, quick and easy... I'll be there, but I suppose you ate it all... Fine, I'll make my own~

[Alisha]

That looks so lovely. I've just gotten into making pesto of all sorts and this one looks like a winner.

[Callipygia]

Summer is definitely time to bust out the herbs and go crazy with the pesto. your tomatoes look so good!

[tigerfish]

I like pesto in pasta. And your dish is so pretty, with those cherry tomatoes. And the tomatoes are from your garden. I'm so jealous!

[Christine]

Now that is just gorgeous, Sher! I love arugula and can get it at our farmers market, so this is a recipe I'll be making very soon!

[Glenna]

Oh wow, Sher! That's beautiful! Wish I had some of that to go in my lunch for work tonight!

[Dilip]

fantastic...love the colours...have to try it....many thanks for sharing

[Mehgan]

Hi, I tagged you in my most recent blog post. Check it out here: http://craveperfection.blogspot.com/

[Ruth]

Sher, I love the dish! It looks beautiful and - even better, can be whipped up without breaking a sweat!

So glad you decided to share with Presto Pasta Nights.

[Ruth]

Sher, I love the dish! It looks beautiful and - even better, can be whipped up without breaking a sweat!

So glad you decided to share with Presto Pasta Nights.

[s'kat]

I swear, this entire posting looks like it was snapped up from the pages of a glossy magazine! So beautiful... *le sigh*

[Julie]

That really is picture perfect. And your tomatoes look great!

[Lisa]

Oh, my goodness, you've done it again. That photo makes me want to put a fork in the pasta immediately! I must try this! That Williams-Sonoma has some wonderful, amazing recipes; I've been meaning to put a link to their site on my blog.

[[*names.txt*]]

Age is a very high price to pay for maturity. Thanks good site.
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[I eat, therefore, I'm full]

I just got this same cookbook. I was planning on making this recipe this weekend. One thing I was wondering - can this pesto be made with pinenuts? I just bought a bunch of pinenuts, and would prefer to use them rather than go out and buy walnuts.

Thanks!

[Eric]

Hi there,

I absolutely love that pesto picture. I was wondering if I could have permission to reprint it in this month's Community Gardens of Tucson newsletter. Very small circulation, maybe 150 people. I'm including a recipe for arugula pesto and stumbled upon this blog while searching for a good image.

Thanks!
Eric