Spaghetti with Tomatoes & Arugula

This is summer on a plate, even in the middle of January. Peppery arugula gets wilted right in the spaghetti water during the last moments of cooking, then everything gets drained and tossed with a quick, punchy tomato sauce.

The sauce is dead simple: shallots softened in olive oil, chopped tomatoes cooked down fast over high heat until thick, and a hit of red pepper flakes for warmth. That’s it. The arugula adds a peppery bite that wakes up every forkful.

Thirty minutes, one pot of pasta water, one skillet, and you’ve got a vegetarian dinner with serious personality. The kind of recipe that reminds you great cooking doesn’t need a long ingredient list.

Pro Tips

• Add arugula at the very end: Toss it into the boiling pasta water just moments before draining. You want it barely wilted, not cooked into mush.
• High heat on the tomatoes: Don’t baby the sauce. Cooking the tomatoes over high heat concentrates their flavor quickly and gives the sauce body without a long simmer.
• Shallots or garlic, your call: The recipe lists both, but the shallots bring a sweeter, mellower flavor while garlic brings more punch. Use whichever suits your mood, or go bold with both.