One of the most frequently asked questions I receive is- How do you do it all? Oh man… THIS QUESTION. The answer is….I DON’T & can’t! Every week looks different in my life. Some weeks are super challenging (ahem, this one!) and I don’t usually share the bad because the internet is my happy place. My goal here is to inspire people and I don’t think I’d inspire anyone if I complained about how I spaced and forgot to make a credit card payment or how I can’t seem for the LIFE of me to clean up the inside of my car. Maybe you want to hear that. I dunno. That being said let’s talk a little bit about balance.
Balance is difficult to attain. I’m not very good at it. Ever since I had a Cooper I don’t think I have the ability to give 100% to anything in my life and it bugs me most of the time. Do you moms know what I’m saying? Raise your hand if you’re behind on laundry too!
I am good at balancing my food, though. I’m not talking about setting a pineapple on top of my head and walking to the other side of the room with it. Nope. I’m talking….like one day I eat coffee cake for breakfast lunch & dinner and then the next few days I eat salads & juice like a crazy woman. That’s how I excel at balancing.
This pasta is a good balance because it appeals to me- the ARUGULA lover and to Casey the PASTA lover. He, of course gets a plate that’s heavy on the pasta and I get a plate heavy on the arugula…depending how many cookies I ate that day. It was 6. OK. 7. Extra arugula for me. The only problem we found with this recipe is that it’s so light, you might find yourself eating 3 portions in one sitting. Maybe that’s just a sign that it’s GOOD.
And we’re off!
It all starts with BREADCRUMBS! Toast them in some olive oil in a pan. Takes about 10 minutes.
Get your ingredients together.
ANGEL HAIR PASTA!
The flavor makers.
Let’s make some garlic chile oil. Clean out your pan and put it all in there. Let it stew in the heat.
Cook your pasta! Add the garlic chile oil. STIR!
Add the bread crumbs & lemon zest. STIR!
Throw that arugula in. More stirring. I’m sure your hands are tired…wait…I think you’re just hungry.
Put the pasta on a platter. Squeeze the lemon on top.
Top with cheese, pepper & salt.
Serve it up, serve it up, YO. Why am I thinking of Jesse from Breaking Bad now? AHHHH.
This is how we balance.
Angel Hair Pasta w/ Arugula & Lemon
serves 4-6
(recipe slightly adapted from Tyler Florence Family Meal: Bringing People Together Never Tasted Better)
- 1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
- 8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, silvered
- 1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
- grated zest & juice of 1 lemon
- 1 pound angel hair pasta
- 6 cups lightly packed baby or wild arugula
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving
In a skillet, combine the panko with 2 tablespoons of the oil and toss to combine. Toast over medium heat, stirring, until the bread crumbs are golden brown, about 10 minutes. season with salt and pepper, then transfer to a small bowl.
In the same skillet, heat the remaining 6 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 10 to 12 minutes to infuse the oil and gently cook the garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the lemon zest and remove from the heat.
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until al dente. Drain the pasta well, and transfer to a large bowl. Immediately add the arugula, the infused oil with the garlic, and the bread crumbs. Use tongs to gently toss everything together. Mound the pasta on a large platter, squeeze lemon juice on top and serve, topping with grated Parmesan as desired.
