4 Videos | Photo: Penne with Brown Butter, Arugula, and Pine Nuts Recipe
Ingredients
Dressing:
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large lemon, zested and juiced
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pasta:
- 1 pound penne rigate pasta
- 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, at room temperature
- 4 cups baby arugula
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup grated Parmesan
- 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts (see Cook's Note)
- 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
Directions
For the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper until smooth. Set aside.
For the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water.
In a high-sided skillet, whisk the butter over medium heat until melted. Simmer until foamy. Continue to cook until the butter has a nutty aroma and turns a caramel color, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the pasta, dressing, arugula, tomatoes, Parmesan, pine nuts, and capers. Toss until coated, adding the reserved pasta water, 1 tablespoon at a time to loosen the sauce, if needed. Transfer to a large bowl and serve.
Cook's Note: To toast the pine nuts, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven until lightly toasted, 6 to 8 minutes. Cool completely before using.
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By kiwileex3
Chapel Hill, NC
on February 12, 2013
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I was making this for myself, so I halved the recipe. I am a little surprised at the comments saying it was too lemony, as I could barely taste the lemon myself. I also did not find it too salty, but I always wing it when I add salt to recipes. I did not add the tomatoes, because I hate them. Overall, I give it 4 stars, because it is a dish I would make again, but it is not a dish I can see myself one day randomly having the munchies for.
By debbieinfl
on February 09, 2013
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Really enjoyed this recipe!! Nice combination of flavors and something different! Made it exactly like the recipe. Only criticism was that it was too salty. Next time I will only use 1 teaspoon of salt. Even on the video, Giada seems to add less than 2 teaspoons.
By mompdx4_10502492
Belle Harbor, NY
on February 08, 2013
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Although the ingredients sounded good (we love arugula that was the only thing I really liked about this recipe. The lemon was way to strong and tangy and there really wasn't much flavor to the whole dish except for the arugula and the tomatoes. I would lessen the lemon juice and zest the next time and saute some fresh garlic in the butter. Not too thrilled with this one Giada.
Read all 56 reviews