Angel Hair with Arugula, Tomato, and Fresh Mozzerella

A lot of the times I prep dinner when Sophia is taking her afternoon nap. That way, when the hubby gets home, dinner is ready and we get to maximize our family time. If it isn't a meal that heats up well, like chicken or most meats, I get all the prep work done and do the actual cooking when he is on his way home. Pasta is something you can typically prep a little ahead of time, because you can reheat it fairly easily and that is just what I did tonight. This pasta is vegetarian and so simple. It is similar to Capellini Pomodoro, but has lemon, arugula and little mozzarella balls in addition to tomato, basil and garlic. It tastes so fresh because of the lemon and you get a bit of that nutty delicious taste from the arugula. I whipped this meal up in less than 20 minutes and I am a bit ashamed to say, I already ate a small bowl of it. :/


16 ounces angel hair pasta
3 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves minced
8 plum tomatoes seeded and diced in to 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups Arugula
1/2 cup fresh basil (chiffonade)
1/4 cup of fresh mozzerella, roughly chopped into small bits (I use the little ciliegine or bocconcini mozzerella balls)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/4 cup pasta water reserved
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

2. In a saute pan add olive oil, tomatoes, and garlic. Saute together on medium- low for 6 minutes.

3. While your sauce is cooking, prepare pasta according to package. Strain noodles and reserve 1/4 cup pasta water. (DO NOT RINSE NOODLES)  To your sauce add cooked pasta, reserved pasta water, arugula, lemon juice, basil and mozzarella. Toss together and simmer on low for 1 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.


***Make sure to salt your pasta water and for better flavor season your sauce as you cook. Seasoning with salt and pepper throughout the cooking process helps build the flavor.


Serves 6. Approx 426 calories and 11 grams of fat