Recipe: Lemon Chili Pasta with Arugula and Capers

Because summer is coming to an end I'm in the mood for heartier, spicier foods. For me crisp weather heralds comfort food, soups, curries, and all together heavier meals. However, the heat index is still in the hundreds here. So I've come up with another pasta dish which can be served hot or at room temperature or cold, my current favorite. These sort of meals will carry me over until I can break out my soup pot.

This lemon chili pasta is one of my favorites. It's zesty, a little peppery, and yet still light and easy. At the end of a work day in the kitchen I don't feel like preparing a complicated meal. Pasta seems to be a recurring theme around here, and it's likely that if the saying "you are what you eat" holds true, I will one day soon turn into a noodle. But, it's a quick vehicle for flavor. So bear with me until this pasta (and arugula) phase passes.

Use fresh red chilies if available. The farmers market did not have any this morning so I substituted chili flakes. Adjust the amount to your preference.

Lemon chili pasta with arugula and capers

1 pound fresh angel hair pasta

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon chili pepper flakes OR 3 long red chilies, seeded and diced

1/3 cup capers (if using salted capers, then wash and rinse them)

3 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

4 cups fresh arugula

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot until al dente. Drain and return to sauce pan and keep warm.

2. Heat the oil in a large sautee pan over medium-high heat. Sautee the chilies and capers until crisp. Add the lemon zest and garlic and cook until golden.

3. Toss with the pasta, arugula, lemon juice and salt and pepper and serve.