Fettuccine with Prosciutto and Arugula

I love pasta. When I cook with my boyfriend, its usually pasta. He's the one in charge of cooking the pasta because I always tend to forget about it and it turns to mush. He always gets a perfect al-dente! A few nights ago we made fettuccine with prosciutto and arugula. I wanted to use pappardelle but the supermarket I went to didn't have any. The sauce is essentially leeks and butter thickened with pasta water, and seasoned with the melted fat from the prosciutto. The lemon cuts through the richness of the sauce, and the arugula adds a nice tang and pepperiness. There is some prep work to do, such as chopping and zesting, but nothing too laborious. Hope you will enjoy this pasta as much as I did! 

Chop up your chives and leeks

Zest two lemons and cut the prosciutto into 1-inch slices

Soften the leeks in oil and butter, but take care not to brown them. Keep stirring.

Add the pasta and arugula. Don't be alarmed by the amount! The leaves will wilt down.

It can get messy and tiring when tossing the mixture together. Here, the boyfriend takes a break from snacking and helps out.

It feels less guilty with all that arugula in it ;)

Recipe – adapted from here

For two to three

Ingredients

250g fettuccine or pappardelle (pappardelle would look prettier but the supermarket I went to didn't carry it)

Kosher salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 leeks, white and pale greens only, thinly sliced

¼ cup chopped fresh chives

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest plus more for serving

4 cups arugula

3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan plus more for serving

Freshly ground black pepper

12 slices prosciutto, cut into 1-inch pieces

Method

1. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil and butter in a large heavy pan over medium heat. Add leeks and cook, stirring often, until softened but not browned, 5-8 minutes.
3. Add pasta, chives, 2 teaspoons lemon zest, and 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid. Cook, tossing and adding more cooking liquid as needed, until a glossy sauce coats pasta, about a minute.
4. Add arugula and Parmesan, season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Add prosciutto and toss again, distributing all the ingredients evenly. 
5. Plate, and top with the remaining zest and a sprinkle of Parmesan.