When the produce is fresh and locally grown, fabulous food comes together easily and fast. This Arugula Pasta with Salsa Cruda (a simple, no-cook sauce) makes the most of fresh summer tomatoes and peppery arugula.
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Pasta is one of my weaknesses. I love a good spaghetti dish or lasagna! But add in fresh local vegetables and I start drooling. Which means that I really love dishes like these Super Easy Black Bean and Fresh Veggie Tostadas and Vegan Lettuce Wraps.
How to Make Arugula Pasta with Salsa Cruda
- Crush jalapeńo and garlic together into a paste.
- Mix together with olive oil and lemon juice & zest.
- Peel tomatoes using boiling water method.
- Dice tomatoes into small pieces.
- Add tomatoes and salt to paste mixture.
- Cook pasta.
- Toss pasta together with sauce.
- Add arugula, stirring in until wilted.
- Season to taste and serve.
Full directions for how to make Arugula Pasta with Salsa Cruda are in the printable recipe card below.
Arugula Pasta with Salsa Cruda FAQs
How long does this pasta dish last?
You can make this pasta dish last up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Just be sure to store it in an airtight container! Of course, the ultimate determiner of how long this pasta dish will last is you and how hungry you are!
Can I use spinach instead of arugula?
Feel free to adjust this recipe to your own taste. I prefer the flavor of arugula with my pasta, but spinach would work just as well. You can also swap out the ingredients in the sauce whatever way you want!
Here are more light, seasonal vegan pasta recipes.
Recipe
Arugula Pasta with Salsa Cruda
Ingredients
- 2 garlic cloves
- ½ jalapeño pepper or other chili pepper
- 2 lemons both juiced, 1 zested
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 ripe tomatoes
- 8 oz whole wheat spaghetti or angel hair pasta
- 3 cups arugula leaves washed and stemmed, also coarsely chopped if large
- sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Crush garlic and jalapeño together until they become a coarse paste.
- Spoon paste into a medium-sized bowl. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, and olive oil.
- Peel tomatoes: Bring water to boil in a medium pot. Remove water from heat, add tomatoes, and let them sit for a couple minutes. Remove tomatoes from water. Let them cool enough so you can handle them. Gently pierce them with the point of a knife. Their skins should slip right off.
- Dice tomatoes into small pieces.
- Add tomatoes and all their juice to the garlic, chili, and lemon mixture. Stir together and add a pinch of sea salt.
- Make pasta according to directions and cook until just tender. Remove from heat, drain well, then return pasta to pot.
- Toss pasta together with sauce.
- Add arugula, a handful at a time, tossing lightly until the greens just start to wilt—about 3–5 minutes.
- Season with additional sea salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve at once!
Nutrition
Recipe and photo contributed by Ellen Kanner.
Ellen Kanner is the Huffington Post’s Meatless Monday blogger, the syndicated columnist The Edgy Veggie, and contributor to publications including Culinate, Bon Appetit, and Every Day With Rachael Ray, as well as her own blog.
Deb says
This sounds great! But you really should try some Himalayan pink salt. I get mine from Sustainable Sourcing https://secure.sustainablesourcing.com. The flavor is so much better than regular salt! Thanks for sharing this recipe—I can’t wait to try it!
niki jones says
Loved this recipe, the taste was wonderful!