Shrimp With Baby Penne & Baby Arugula

Ingredients

1 pound baby penne
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus some for drizzling
2 pints grape tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
24 medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined
6 scallions, green and white parts chopped on a bias
Zest of 1 lemon
3/4 cups basil, thinly sliced into ribbons
3 cups baby arugula, roughly chopped

Yields: 4-6 servings

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F. Bring a large pot of water over to a boil over high heat for the pasta. Once the water comes to a boil, add a generous amount of salt and the pasta. Cook until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving about a cup of the starchy, pasta-cooking water.

While waiting for the water to boil, place the tomatoes on a cookie sheet, drizzle them with EVOO and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place tomatoes in the hot oven and roast until the tomatoes just start to burst, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, smash them lightly with a fork or a potato masher and reserve.

While the pasta is working and the tomatoes are almost ready, preheat a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Add the garlic to the hot skillet along with the shrimp. Cook the shrimp on both sides until firm and pink, about 2 minutes per side. Add the scallions, cook for a minute or so, then add the pasta, a ladle of the reserved pasta water, lemon zest, basil, arugula, salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Give it a good toss and pour it into a serving bowl. Add the reserved roasted tomatoes, toss to combine and serve.