Pasta With Cherry Tomatoes and Arugula

By Martha Rose Shulman

Pasta With Cherry Tomatoes and Arugula
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
5(985)
Comments
Read comments

This simple, glorious dish, popular in the southern Italian region of Puglia, is an argument for keeping cherry tomato plants in your garden or on your fire escape. Uncooked tomato sauce is juicy and cool on a summer evening. The recipe asks only that you halve the tomatoes (quarter them if they are particularly large), then combine them with garlic, salt, balsamic vinegar, arugula, basil and olive oil. Toss that with cooked pasta, and shower with salty, firm shavings of ricotta salata. Arugula adds wonderful flavor (all the more if you can find peppery wild arugula) and a nutritional punch.

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Ingredients

Yield: 4 servings
  • 1pint cherry tomatoes, halved if small, quartered if large
  • 1plump garlic clove, minced or put through a press (more to taste)
  • Salt to taste (I like to use a very good coarse sea salt or fleur de sel for this)
  • 1teaspoon balsamic vinegar (optional)
  • 1cup arugula leaves, coarsely chopped
  • 1tablespoon slivered or chopped fresh basil
  • 2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ¾pound fusille, farfalle, or orecchiette
  • ¼cup freshly grated ricotta salata or Parmesan (more to taste)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

431 calories; 11 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 68 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 15 grams protein; 457 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Combine the cherry tomatoes, garlic, salt, balsamic vinegar, arugula, basil, and olive oil in a wide bowl. Let sit for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add a generous amount of salt and the pasta. Cook al dente, until the pasta is firm to the bite. Drain, toss with the tomatoes, sprinkle on the cheese, and serve.

Tip
  • 407 calories; calories from fat 92; total fat: 10.3g; saturated fat 2.0g; cholesterol 6mg; sodium 140mg; total carbohydrates 67.4g; dietary fiber 4.0g; sugars 3.7g; protein 13.9g (Data provided by calorie-count.com)

Ratings

5 out of 5
985 user ratings
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Comments

Beth Gahbler

Great - but as with all NYT pasta recipes, I reduced the amount of pasta and practically tripled the amount of veggies and olive oil. We like our pasta with more sauce. Didn't have ricotta salata, so used pecorino. Also great!

Joan A.

A great recipe! After making it as written once I have added more basil, arugula, vinegar and cheese to suit us.

Susan

Roasted the cherry tomatoes with a bulb of garlic @375 for 30min. Cool slightly and squished out the soft garlic and mashed in the tomatoes and other ingredients. Gives a bit of depth for a quick winter meal.

Dancer

Fast, easy and delicious.

Ragbert

Sooo good. I've made it before but each time it's a bit different. This time I used up the last few Campari tomatoes I had, plus more fresh basil than called for. Lots of arugula, of course. I couldn't find my balsamic vinegar(!!!) so I subbed red wine vinegar, which was just as tasty. The pasta was a mix of spinach and cheese tortellini, and I added a Tb of Tr. Joe's garlic dip (aka Toum) while the pasta was hot. The cheese was a shaved mix of Romano, Parmesan, & Asiago. Delicious!

ELL

Simple and delicious. I added a little extra balsamic vinegar & arugula, but otherwise this is the perfect recipe. I could eat this everyday.

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