Doggy Bag: Easy Assembly Required

There hasn’t been a Doggy Bag in a while because the only ones Mom has been feeding in the kitchen lately is me and my brother and sister mutts (by pouring dry dog food into our bowls). Mom has been craving some one-on-stove time where she can cook what she does best. She’s the first to say a top chef, she’s not. She’ll never be a baker, doesn’t believe in measuring devices and handling raw meat still makes her want to hide under the table . . . So don’t expect a Cheesecake Factory worth of choices. Still, she enjoys a little apron time that involves her cutting board, fresh ingredients and moment to sit back and stir.

Here’s one of her and Shuga D’s favorite dishes she created after over-shooting a box of pasta and ending up with large tangle of leftover noodles.

Ingredients:

Fresh Arugula
Goat Cheese
Chopped pecans (or walnuts, but since Shuga works in a candy factory that makes divinity and pecan logs, we keep them in stock.)
Prosciutto (or not)
Lemon
Cooked pasta
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Small pat of butter
Salt and pepper

Make a goat cheese mixture with, salt and pepper, a little olive oil and zest from ½ the lemon. Toast pecans with a little olive oil and salt, set aside and save skillet to sauté arugula greens in butter, olive oil and juice from ½ the lemon. Add pasta (if cold, allow to re-heat) and a small ladle of water (use starchy pasta water if freshly cooked). Stir together until liquid heats through. Remove from heat. Toss in goat cheese mixture, pecans and torn shreds of proscuitto. Add zest and squeeze juice from the rest of the lemon on top. Eat it hot or chill for a summer pasta salad.