Another week, another weeknight pasta meal. Pasta is definitely my go-to during Monday-Friday. It’s just easy and takes no time at all to throw together. I always always always have dried pasta in my pantry. Plus, I typically always have butter and fresh veggies in the fridge. With all these ingredients on hand, it’s the perfect combination to make a simple pasta dish.

I really have nothing too in depth to say about this dish, other than the fact that it’s just damn good. The sauce is primarily made with butter and olive oil. A lot of garlic and some shallot. A touch of white wine (because why not?). Also a big bowl of grape tomatoes. Oh and you can’t forget all that fresh basil and arugula (this is key for flavor) Plus the lemon! Lemon makes everything better. Some might think…arugula in pasta? That’s weird? Actually it’s the opposite. The arugula slightly wilts in the pasta and you get a that peppery arugula in each bite you take. It’s wonderful.

This pasta is great on its own but since I am also feeding a man that needs meat with dinner…I added chicken! (I’m sure all you women out there in a relationship can relate lol) I marinated some chicken breast in bottled Italian dressing all day and then grilled it. It’s an easy way to add protein without making a mess inside. So while my husband grilled the chicken, I worked on the pasta inside. It’s a good way to add meat to dinner without putting in a lot of work.

In my recipe I mention using fresh basil and also slightly dried basil. You can find the slightly dried basil right next to the fresh basil in the refrigerated produce section. It’s in a small container. If you cannot find it, you can use double the amount of fresh basil instead. I love the slightly dried because it has a strong yet different flavor from fresh or completely dried basil.

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Try it with:

GARLIC HERB BUTTER FRENCH LOAF

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PRODUCTS I LOVE:

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HERBY BURST TOMATO ANGEL HAIR WITH ARUGULA AND TOASTED PINE NUTS

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Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Total time: 20 minutes

Serves: 6

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INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb angel pair pasta, cooked al dente and drained but not rinsed
• 3 tbsp butter, salted
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 shallots, small dice
• 8 cloves garlic, small dice
• 3 cups tri-colored grape tomatoes
• 2 lemons, zest and juice
• 1/2 cup white wine (I used Chardonnay)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt, more or less to taste
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, small chop
• 2 tbsp slightly dried basil (found in refrigerated produce section)
• 1 tbsp parsley, small chop
• 5 oz. arugula
• 1/2- 1 cup pasta water
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

+ Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

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DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook pasta according to package. Drain but do not rinse. Reserve 1 cup pasta water for later use.
2. In a large pot add in butter, olive oil, garlic and shallot. Cook on medium low heat till onions because soft and translucent and garlic is aromatic. About 3-5 minutes
3. Add in tomatoes, lemon zest and juice, and white wine. Continue to cook until tomatoes are soft and wine is reduced by half. About 5-7 minutes. Add in salt (to taste), pepper and red pepper flakes.
4. Add in cooked pasta and mix. Slowly add in small amount of pasta water at a time and continue to stir together. This will loosen up the sauce a bit
5. Slowly begin to add fresh basil, dried basil, parsley and arugula. The arugula will slowly start to wilt as you continue to mix into the pasta.
6. Garnish with toasted pine nuts, an extra drizzle of olive oil and parmesan cheese.

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