Fusilli with Arugula, Speck, and Cherry Tomatoes is a delicious, easy, and quick first course that everyone always loves. Whether eaten hot or cold, they will always be a success. Speck, red cherry tomatoes, garlic, and arugula are ingredients that already go well together, but the most important touch is given by pecorino romano, as it adds a slight spiciness to the recipe. As you already know, for years I have avoided adding salt to pasta water because it is really harmful. In this case, however, a good pecorino romano will make everything more flavorful.
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- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
Ingredients
- 12 oz fusilli
- 7 oz speck, thick slices
- 14 oz red cherry tomatoes
- 1 clove garlic
- 5 oz arugula
- to taste grated pecorino romano
- 4 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt and pepper
Tools
- 1 Frying pan
- 1 Pot
How to make Fusilli with Arugula, Speck, and Cherry Tomatoes
To prepare Fusilli with Arugula, Speck, and Cherry Tomatoes, organize your workspace with all the ingredients already measured so that everything is at hand.
Chop the speck into pieces or strips and place it in a non-stick pan with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.
Sauté until golden, then turn off the heat and set aside on a plate.
In the same pan, add one or two cloves of garlic, depending on size, chopped into pieces, and sauté with two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Then add the previously chopped or sliced cherry tomatoes and cook until wilted.
Add the speck to the tomatoes, let it flavor for 1-2 minutes, and turn off the heat.
Thoroughly wash the arugula to remove any dirt and dry it.
Add the arugula to the pan and mix well.
At this point, cook the fusilli, and instead of draining them in a colander, scoop them directly into the sauce using a slotted spoon to prevent them from drying out.
Toss them over low heat, and as soon as the arugula wilts, turn off the heat and plate.
If needed, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
Serve your Fusilli with Arugula, Speck, and Cherry Tomatoes hot, and sprinkle with grated pecorino romano.
Tips, Variations, and Storage
Fusilli with Arugula, Speck, and Cherry Tomatoes is also delicious served as a cold pasta salad. In this case, I recommend having the speck sliced thinly.
This way, it won’t turn chewy, and you can sprinkle it over the pasta, cooking it at the last moment to keep it crispy.
One variation to this recipe could be replacing garlic with red onion for a sweeter taste, and consequently, sprinkling the pasta with grated Parmesan.
The flavor will be sweeter and perhaps even more delicate, but the result will always be excellent.
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