TABELIAAUTHENTIC RECIPE
Fusilli al Pesto di Rucola e PomodoriniFusilli with Arugula Pesto and Cherry Tomatoes
Pesto made with arugula rather than basil has a sharper, more bitter personality. Toss it without direct heat, using only the warmth of freshly boiled pasta: the way to preserve arugula’s peppery bite and brilliant green.
AUTHENTICITY SCORE
Authenticity Score
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Ingredients (4 servings)
- Fusilli320 g
- Arugula (rocket)Wash well under running water and drain thoroughly.100 g
- Cherry tomatoesHalve, sprinkle with a little salt and leave for 10 minutes.250 g
- Parmigiano Reggiano60 g
- Toasted pine nuts40 g
- Garlic1 clove
- High-quality extra virgin olive oil80 ml
- Salt and black peppera little
Method
Salt the cherry tomatoes
- 1 Halve the cherry tomatoes, sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt and leave for 10 minutes to enhance their sweetness.
Ready when
This step is complete after 10 minutes.
Toast the pine nuts
- 1 Dry-toast the pine nuts in a frying pan over medium heat for 2–3 minutes, until lightly colored and fragrant.
Ready when
They are ready when lightly colored and fragrant.
Wash the arugula
- 1 Wash the arugula well under running water and drain thoroughly in a colander.
Ready when
This step is complete once well drained.
Make the pesto
- 1 Put the arugula, pine nuts, garlic and half the Parmigiano in a food processor.
- 2 Blend briefly while slowly adding 80 ml extra virgin olive oil; prolonged blending heats the arugula.
Ready when
It is ready when the pesto is smooth.
Caution
Blend only briefly: running the processor too long heats the arugula.
Season and heat the water
- 1 MeanwhileMeanwhile, start bringing a large pot of water to a boil, with 10 g salt per 1 L water.
- 2 Season with 1/4 tsp salt and 3–4 grinds of black pepper.
Ready when
This step is complete when the seasoning is balanced.
Boil the pasta
- 1 Add the fusilli to the prepared boiling salted water and cook al dente, 1 minute less than the package time.
Ready when
Lift out once al dente.
Reserve cooking water
- 1 Before draining the al dente fusilli, reserve 2–3 tbsp cooking water.
- 2 Drain, leaving the pasta a little wet rather than completely dry.
Ready when
This step is complete once the water is reserved and the pasta drained.
Toss with the pesto
- 1 Transfer the fusilli to a large bowl.
- 2 Loosen the arugula pesto with the reserved water, then add it.
- 3 Toss using only the pasta’s residual heat.
Ready when
This step is complete when the pesto coats everything.
Caution
Never heat the pesto directly.
Add tomatoes and cheese
- 1 Add the cherry tomatoes and toss gently.
- 2 Grate the remaining Parmigiano over the top.
- 3 Drizzle with 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil.
Ready when
The dish is ready when combined throughout.
About this dish
Just as basil-based pesto genovese is a source of northern Italian pride, arugula pesto expresses Campania’s character. From spring through autumn, arugula fills Naples’s market stalls. Its peppery, bitter leaves make a wilder and more assertive pesto than basil does.
Avoiding heat is fundamental. Arugula is sensitive to heat, becoming more bitter and discolored when cooked; even a blender can generate friction heat if run too long. Tossing only with the residual warmth of freshly cooked pasta brings the leaves’ peppery bite and vivid green intact to the plate. The acidity of cherry tomatoes echoes the pesto’s pungency, creating a refreshing taste of southern Italian summer.
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