In the kitchen

{Baked calamarata pasta with arugula pesto, almonds, fresh mozzarella and cherry tomatoes}

Lately I have been searching for the perfect baked pasta recipe.  Voila! I think I have found it!  This dish looks so yummy I cannot wait to try it this weekend.  Plus, I've never done arugula pesto before, so this intrigues me, because I love arugula with feta in a lemon vinaigrette.  It's actually one of my favorite salads to prepare.  This recipe comes to you via Food52.  Bon apetit, my friends!

Serves 2-4

1 bag of calamarata pasta (calamari shaped pasta or any tube style pasta would be fine)

1 bunch of arugula

1/2 cup of slivered almonds

1 garlic clove

1 ball of fresh mozzarella

cherry tomatoes

olive oil

red wine vinegar

1/2 cup of sour cream (cream, marscapone, or creme friache would work as well)

1. for pesto Rinse and dry one bunch of arugula, finely chop the greens and place in a bowl. Roughly chop a 1/2 cup of blanched and slivered almonds. Mix with the arugula and drizzle some olive oil. Season with sea salt and pepper. Add a splash of red wine vinegar to give it some acidity. Using my microplane I grated one clove of garlic. This makes the garlic very fine and the juice to come out. You could use a normal garlic press or chop very finely. Mix well and set aside, adjusting seasoning as you go.
   
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt. Add pasta and cook to directions. Cut cherry tomatoes in half and set aside. When pasta is finished drain and place back in the pot. Put a tablespoon of butter and a 1/4 cup of sour cream. Mix well while pasta is hot and then add the pesto. Pour pasta into a casserole dish and place cherry tomatoes on top evenly. Then add thinly sliced fresh mozzarella covering the top. Place under the broiler, keeping a close eye to ensure even browning. Cook until cheese is lightly browned and bubbly. You could also bake in the oven for about 10 minutes. 

{Images via Food52 and Hungry Cravings}