eat this: arugula pesto pasta with grilled chicken, roasted pumpkin seeds & salad

Tonight, I feted one of my closest friends and gave her one of the greatest gifts one could give to another friend – a homemade meal and cozy conversation. When I plotted my menu, I kept thinking about Ina Garten’s mantra: keep it simple and delicious, and always try to prepare as much of the meal in advance. Pesto can be blitzed the day before and sealed in tupperware. Chicken can always be re-heated, and cooking pasta “to the tooth” takes 8-10 minutes.

Last year, my first meal in Rome was a simple rigatoni pasta with creamy arugula pesto, and it felt as if it was the first time I’d ever tasted pasta it was that simplistic and that extraordinary. So, I set out to recreate that magical moment for my dear friend, Cheryl.

Clearly, I needed some help. Simply Recipe’s Arugula Pesto is OUT OF CONTROL. I was intrigued by the technique of browning garlic with skins on — it yielded a pungent, yet sweet flavor juxtaposed with the raw, almost acrid taste of raw garlic. Both imbued the pesto with a deeper, layered flavor. My only adjustments:

Did I mention that my friend Cheryl is a VEGETARIAN?! After six years of friendship, how did I not know this? Surely my head has been in an oven or some other foreign object that suppresses sound. I was horribly apologetic and Cheryl was incredibly kind. After a quick chicken elimination, she was entranced by the arugula pesto.

We wondered aloud: HOW COULD WE GO BACK TO BASIL PESTO? That inferior, traditional pesto when the arugula version was peppery, complex and shades healthier.

The salad was easy. Kale, pre-washed herb salad and leftover arugula, dressed with a simple vinaigrette. We finished off with cold apple crumb pie, hot tea, and watching bits of The Office.

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 8th, 2009 at 9:54 pm and is filed under foodie gal. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.