A simple pan sauce is the base of this elegant Pasta with Prosciutto, Arugula and Feta. Spaghetti is tossed in the pan with olive oil, garlic, arugula, lime juice, capers and prosciutto. But what really sets this dish apart the marinated feta! Marinate the feta ahead of time and your pasta can be ready in 15 minutes!
This Pasta with prosciutto, arugula and feta falls into the category of gourmet, dinner-party-worthy recipes. Packed with top of-of-the-line ingredients and exciting flavors, this dish always brings excitement to the table.
This recipe comes from one of my favorite cookbooks: Donna Hay: Flavors. Are you familiar with Donna Hay? She’s an Australian cookbook author and food stylist. I love her recipes. She uses simple and fresh ingredients combined in the most wonderful ways.
I did some research in hopes of being able to define ‘Australian food’, but no such luck. What I came away with is that Australian food is extremely diverse due to a long and rich history of indigenous cooking practices as well as multicultural influences from European and Asian immigration.
A typical Australian meal might include grilled kangaroo or vegemite on toast or it could be fish ‘n chips, spring rolls or chicken parmigiana.
You’re likely to find lots of familiar foods and ingredients in Australian cuisine, though you might not always recognize their names. Many Aussie foods and cooking names are rooted in English terminology. Even this recipe that I call: Pasta with prosciutto, arugula and Feta – Donna Hay calls: “Spaghetti with lime and rocket.”
Rocket is the Australian-English name for arugula. Here are some other examples of Australian-English cooking terms: eggplants are aubergines; sausages are called bangers; potato chips are crisps; french fries are chips; zucchinis are courgettes; and a barbecue is a barbie.
PASTA WITH PROSCIUTTO ARUGULA AND FETA
HOW TO MAKE IT:
The first step of this recipe is to marinate the feta. Whisk up a simple marinade of olive oil, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes and thyme. Toss cubed feta with the mixture and marinate for at least an hour or up to 3 days, in the fridge. Once the feta is marinated, this recipe comes together in less than 15 minutes!
Next, slice the arugula into ribbons. The easiest way to do this is to arrange the leaves so they’re all facing in one direction, and cut across them. Even better, if you have the patience, is to stack the leaves and slice the stack thinly, crosswise. Or you can be more casual about the whole thing and just give the arugula a rough chop.
Prep the rest of the ingredients:
chop the prosciutto
zest the limes
mince the garlic
chop the jalapeño
and rinse the capers
Start boiling the pasta. And meanwhile heat up your skillet and prepare the pan sauce. Sauté garlic, lime zest, capers, jalapeños and prosciutto for just a couple of minutes.
Be sure to cook your pasta al dente because it will continue to cook a bit more in the pan. Drain the pasta it and add it to the skillet withe the prosciutto. Toss over the heat for a minute or two, until everything is combined and heated through. Pour in the lime juice and shredded arugula. Toss well.
Divide the pasta among serving plates and top with marinated feta and a sprinkling of fresh ground pepper.
If you love delicious, company-worthy pasta dishes, here are two more of my favorites:
Here’s the recipe for pasta with prosciutto, arugula and feta. If you try this recipe I hope you’ll come back to leave a star rating and a comment. I’d love to know what you think!
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Pasta with prosciutto, arugula and feta
Author: Lisa
Total Time:50 minutes
Yield:51x
Description
A very special pasta dish with bright flavors of arugula, prosciutto, feta and lime juice. Easy to prepare. Company worthy.
*Note: prep time does not include marinating time for the feta.
Ingredients
Scale
Marinated Feta*
8-ounces feta cheese (packed in brine)
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 clove crushed garlic
A pinch of fresh thyme leaves (optional)
Pasta
1 pound spaghetti or linguini
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus extra for adding to cooked pasta.
2 large cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
The zest of 2 limes
3 tablespoons small capers, rinsed
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
6 ounces sliced prosciutto, cut into ½-inch dice
5–7 ounces arugula, leaves stacked and slivered (if using baby arugula, you can chop the leaves or just add them whole)
4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
For the Marinated Feta* Dice feta into ½-inch cubes and place a non-reactive bowl or plastic container. Whisk oil, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes and thyme (if using). Toss feta with mixture and let it marinate for at least an hour or up to three days. If marinating for more than an hour, cover and store in the fridge.
For The Pasta Fill a large pot with generously salted water and bring to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente and drain.
Finishing the Dish: Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, lime zest, capers, and chopped jalapeño. Cook for a minute or so, until the garlic is fragrant. Add the diced prosciutto and cook, stirring, until the prosciutto is crisp, 2-3 minutes. Add cooked pasta to the skillet plus 1 tablespoon olive oil. Toss for a minute or two, until everything is combined and heated through. Add lime juice and shredded arugula. Toss to combine. Season with salt, to taste.
Serve pasta hot, in shallow bowls, topped with cubes of marinated feta and a sprinkling of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Notes
*Marinated Feta can be made up to three days ahead. Cover tightly and store in the fridge. Bring to room temperature before using.
Prep Time:30 min
Cook Time:20 mins
Category:Pasta
Method:stovetop
Cuisine:Australian
Keywords: spaghetti with lime and rocket, arugula pasta, Donna Hay pasta recipe
