Egg Pappardelle with Arugula, Leeks and Prosciutto

 This time of year, we are always on the lookout for new spring-y pasta recipes. Some of our past favorites have included Food and Wine's Spring Vegetable Farfalle, our own Scarborough Fair Pasta made with fresh herbs, our own Ginger Garlic Bok Choy Pasta, and a fabulous one from Epicurious called Spring Pasta with Prosciutto, Lettuce and Peas.

This week's is very similar to that last one in that it is also a spring pasta from Epicurious and it also includes prosciutto as an ingredient. Not to mention that it has become one of our favorites for this time of year. Frankly, it was delicious!

We followed the Epicurious recipe almost to the letter, using Trader Joe's Egg Pappardelle, which made the dish even lighter and thus, more perfect for the season. With no lemon in the fruit crisper, we substituted 1/4 teaspoon of Boyajian's Lemon Oil - a practical and valuable product to have in the pantry for exactly these situations.

Looking for something for Meatless Monday? This would be just as delish sans prosciutto, we're sure.

Egg Pappardelle with Baby Arugula, Leeks and Prosciutto

barely adapted from this recipe at Epicurious.com

Ingredients:

1/2 pound egg pappardelle

kosher salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 leeks, white and pale green parts only, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

1/4 teaspoon pure lemon oil

4 cups baby arugula

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

freshly ground black pepper

3 ounces prosciutto, torn into 1" pieces

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain, reserving 2 cups pasta cooking liquid. Meanwhile, heat oil and butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add leeks and cook, stirring often, until softened but not browned, 5-8 minutes. Add pasta, chives, lemon oil, and 3/4 cup pasta cooking liquid. Cook, tossing and adding more cooking liquid by 1/4-cupfuls as needed, until a glossy sauce forms that coats pasta, about 4 minutes. Add arugula and 1/3 cup Parmesan, season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Add prosciutto and toss again. Top pasta with more lemon zest and Parmesan.

Meatless Monday: White Pizza with Arugula

Tonight we used the last of the dough we made (we had frozen it) in a recent cooking class we took to make a pizza for Meatless Monday. We infused garlic and red pepper flakes into olive oil and brushed the dough with that, topped the pizza with a blend of mozzarella and parmesan cheeses, and baked it in a super-hot oven. While it was cooking, we tossed arugula (we got a bagful at a local farmers' market for $1!) with lemon juice and more olive oil, and when we took the pizza out, we placed the arugula right on top. Delightful!!!

White Pizza with Arugula

Ingredients:

1 premade pizza dough

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 cloves garlic, sliced

pinch red pepper flakes

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1 cup fresh arugula

2 tablespoons lemon juice

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat pizza stone in 500-degree oven for at least 45 minutes. In a small sauce pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes for 5-7 minutes over low heat, taking care not to burn the garlic. Stretch the dough and place it on a brown rice flour-dusted pizza peel. Brush the infused oil onto the dough. Top the dough with the cheese mixture and bake until crust is done to your liking and cheese is melted. In the meantime, whisk together the remaining olive oil with the lemon juice, salt and pepper, and toss the arugula in the mixture. Lay the arugula over the cheese when pizza comes out of the oven.