Pasta with speck, arugula, and saffron is a simple and truly flavorful first course, with the smoky taste of speck and a slightly peppery taste of arugula! For the recipe, I used penne rigate (you can replace it with any other short pasta type) seasoned with a quick-to-prepare sauce made of speck, arugula and saffron, to which I also added a bit of cream to make it creamy, of course, if you prefer you can omit it. If you like this recipe and don’t want to miss the others, follow me on my Facebook page “Una cameriera in cucina” or the dedicated group.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 1 Person
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
Ingredients
- 2.5 oz penne rigate
- 1.4 oz speck
- 1/2 golden onion
- 1 packet saffron
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- to taste arugula
- to taste cooking cream
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste fine salt
- to taste black pepper
Tools
- Kitchen scale
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Pot
- Colander
- Pan
- Wooden spoon
- Small bowl
- Teaspoon
Preparation
To prepare the pasta with speck, arugula, and saffron…
First, in a pot, heat the water to cook the pasta. When it boils, pour in the pasta and cook it for the minutes indicated on the package from when it returns to a boil, stirring occasionally.
While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce. Peel and thinly slice the golden onion, then add it to a pan with hot extra virgin olive oil and let it soften over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon.
When the onion is softened, deglaze it by adding the dry white wine and let it evaporate.
Meanwhile, cut the speck into strips or matchsticks, then add it to the pan with the onion and brown it over medium heat.
In a small bowl, add a bit of pasta cooking water and dissolve the saffron packet, stirring with a teaspoon.
When the pasta is cooked, drain it well, keeping a little cooking water aside, and add it to the pan. Then add the diluted saffron, the cream, salt, and pepper.
Sauté the pasta with the sauce for a few minutes until it is dry and creamy; if necessary, add a bit more cooking cream and a little water.
Serve the hot pasta garnished with a few arugula leaves torn by hand. The pasta with speck, arugula, and saffron is ready.
