Trust me. It totally works.
Zach just told me to write that this is one of the best things ever to eat. So here it is. This is one of the best things ever to eat! It works especially well with the habanero flavored red wine Zach and I are enjoying right now that we brought back from Texas. Seriously and surprisingly delicious! Unfortunately, Texas is the only state that sells it. Boo. Cook pasta according to directions. I used spaghetti for this, but you can use fusilli, linguini, rotini, farfalle… whatever your heart desires. The world is your oyster.
Meanwhile, slice a sweet onion very thinly and saute in olive oil over medium heat in a very large skillet or pot. Add the zest of two limes. When onion has softened, add 3 cloves of minced garlic. You always want to add garlic towards the end of sauteing because it burns more quickly than other vegetables. …Wait, is garlic a vegetable? …Debatable. I think the answer is yes. Add a pinch (or a generous pinch, if you like things spicy!) of cayenne pepper to the onion mixture. When the pasta is done, add a few spoonfuls of pasta water and some more olive oil to the onions, drain the pasta, and add to onions. Add some black pepper, 1 teaspoon of salt and the juice of two limes to the mix. Stir to coat and turn off the heat. Add a whole bunch of arugula. It will look like a ton, but, like spinach, it will wilt down considerably. Toss with the pasta, cover the pot, and let the heat wilt the arugula a bit.
Meanwhile, cut 1 pint of cherry tomatoes in half, roughly chop about 2 tablespoons of fresh basil, crumble 4 ounces of feta or cotija cheese (or more, or less, it’s really up to you!), and grate about 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese. When arugula is wilted, add all of these ingredients to the pot. Stir to mix together. Yum! If the pasta seems a bit dry, just add more olive oil until it is just right :-) And if you live in Texas and are up for a challenge, go buy some habanero wine to have with dinner.
