Dinner - Spaghetti with Arugula and Walnuts

*For tonight's meal, I referenced my handy Silver Spoon: Pasta cookbook once again.

I'll admit it, of all the types of pasta, spaghetti is not really my favorite. It is so basic, kind of boring (even with spaghetti sauce!) and just doesn't have the same appeal as its pasta brethren.

I have been really into arugula since we made some delicious appetizers with it at Christmastime. If you know me at all, you know that I am not a huge leafy greens person. For some reason, arugula is one leafy green that doesn't bother me too much, so I thought this recipe would be worth a try.

This recipe showcases a nice way to simply dress up that basic spaghetti into something quite delicious and flavorful. It has a few different textures (thanks to the walnuts and arugula) that add a lot to the dish! Also, this is a very simple recipe and would be great as a side or main course, and it is light enough to be a great pasta dish as we move into summer. We served the pasta alongside some steaks which we seasoned with seasoned salt and Italian seasoning.

Spaghetti with Arugula and Walnuts

Ingredients:
-3/4 cup walnuts
-1 garlic clove (we used 2 since we loooove garlic)
-1 bunch arugula, shredded (we used approximately 2 cups (loose)/1 cup (packed) arugula)
-4 tablespoons olive oil
-12 ounces spaghetti
-grated Parmesan for serving (we used Romano)
-salt and pepper

Blanch walnuts in boiling water to remove the skins (boil several minutes).
Chop garlic with half of the walnuts and put into a bowl. Add arugula and oil, season with salt and pepper, mix well.
Chop remaining walnuts.
Cook the spaghetti as directed until al dente.
Drain, add arugula mix and toss.
Plate the pasta, then top with remaining waluts and Parmesan.