Molly Cookie

Angel Hair Pasta with Chile, Lemon, and Arugula

Jan 6, 2011 Food Things, Pastas and Sauces, Weeknight Favorites

I would like to thank my brother Timmy and Tyler Florence for my first ever “Weeknight Favorite”.  This year for Christmas Timmy gave me the Tyler Florence cookbook, Tyler Florence Family Meal. It’s quickly becoming one of my favorite cookbooks, and this pasta recipes was one of the best new recipes I’ve tried in a long time. It was incredibly easy, incredibly light, and incredibly delicious. I give it 5 stars.

I would also like to apologize for my blog being down yesterday. Not only was it down, but I lost the posts and comments that were generated the day before the crash. Not fun.

Oh well. At least we have pasta.

Angel Hair Pasta with Chile, Lemon, and Arugulaonly slightly adapted from the Tyler Florence Family Meal Cookbook.
Serves 6

Ingredients
2 cups panko bread crumbs
8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, silvered (he says slivered but I wasn’t sure what that meant, so I just sliced them as thinly as I possibly could)
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 pound angel hair pasta
2 cups lightly packed baby or wild arugula
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Directions
In a skillet, combine the panko with 2 tablespoons of the oil and toss to combine. Toast over medium heat, stirring, until the bread crumbs are golden brown, about 10 minutes. season with salt and pepper, then transfer to a small bowl.

In the same skillet, heat the remaining 6 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 10 to 12 minutes to infuse the oil and gently cook the garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the lemon zest and remove from the heat.

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until al dente. Drain the pasta well, and transfer to a large bowl. Immediately add the arugula, the infused oil with the garlic, and the bread crumbs. Use tongs to gently toss everything together. Mound the pasta on a large platter and serve, topping with grated Parmesan as desired.