Spaghetti Marinara with Arugula and Fresh Mozzarella
After a busy day, I was on for dinner theater again a couple of nights ago. When I’m too tired to do dinner, and a lot of show, I always opt for pasta. I love this recipe because it’s so easy, but there’s a little element of the different and gourmet, with the arugula and mozzarella. The spaghetti sucks up all the marinara sauce, which has that sweet zing from the tomatoes, and then the arugula wilts in, and is slightly bitter and peppery, and the mozzarella just starts to melt and ooze everywhere, and is milky and mild. So complex for so little work! It was a hit, so I wanted to share it with you. Always nice to trot out something that’s an easy A.
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti
- Kosher salt
- 1 24-ounce jar good marinara sauce (recommended: Mario Batali)
- 1 small bag baby arugula, roughly chopped
- 1 ball fresh mozzarella, drained and finely chopped
- Black pepper
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
PROCEDURE
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Add the pasta and cook in your usual way until al dente. Drain.
In the same pot, heat the marinara sauce over medium heat until it's just starting to bubble. Add in the arugula, and the pasta. Season with salt and pepper, and toss with tongs until well combined. The arugula will wilt slightly. Top with the mozzarella, toss again, and serve immediately, fresh freshly grated Parmesan on the side.
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