Sun-Dried Tomato and Arugula Penne

When I look for recipes to try out, I don’t necessarily stick to all vegetarian fare – in fact, if you flipped through the binder that I keep torn-out magazine recipes in, you’d probably find that about half of them AREN’T vegetarian.  A lot of recipes can be adapted, and I have a lot of fun trying to make things that are veg-friendly but still have the same characteristics as the original dish.

When I initially decided to make this dish, which I found in an old Gourmet magazine, I had planned on simply omitting the finely chopped pancetta that is called for in the recipe, with no intention of replacing it with something else.  But then I got to thinking about it and figured that there’s probably something that could stand in fairly well.  A quick Google search returned the idea of letting smoked tofu stand in, which sounds excellent, but I haven’t been able to find that around here and do not have the means to make my own.

Now I realize that pancetta, though similar to bacon, is not a smoked meat and therefore does not taste quite the same.  Still, many recipes that call for pancetta offer up bacon as a reasonable substitute.  I decided to invent my own smoke-flavored substitute for this dish, and quite frankly, I’m extremely pleased with the way it turned out.  The end result was a delicious and hearty meal that offered lots of interesting and fresh flavors.

A quick note about sun-dried tomatoes: the original recipe called for drained, oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes.  These, however, are fairly expensive compared to the non-oil-packed ones.  I picked up a bag of California Sun-Dry Smoked Sun Dried Tomatoes (julienne cut) with the intention of re-hydrating them in oil myself, but found them to be quite moist and delightfully chewy right out of the bag.  But if you have a different brand or type, you may need to re-hydrate or drain, depending on what you’ve got and your taste/texture preferences.

Inspired by Gourmet Magazine

(makes 4 servings)

• 14 oz. box whole wheat penne rigate
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 eggs
• 2 dashes liquid smoke
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
• 5 oz. baby arugula
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
• 1/4 cup chopped basil and/or flat-leaf parsley (I used both)

Cook the pasta in salted boiling water as per the directions on the box, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water before draining.

While the pasta is cooking, heat half of the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium high heat.  Beat the eggs, water, liquid smoke, and a pinch of salt together in a bowl until the mixture is smooth.  Pour the eggs into the skillet in one, flat layer, and let cook until it is starting to brown on the bottom.  Use a spatula to flip the eggs over (don’t worry if you have to break the layer into several pieces to do this), and cook them until they are slightly browned on the second side.  Slide onto a cutting board, finely chop, and reserve for later.

Turn the heat down to medium and add the rest of the oil to the skillet.  Add the onion, garlic, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper to the pan and cook, stirring once in a while, until the onion is softened and lightly browned.  Stir in the cream and sun-dried tomatoes, and simmer until the cream has thickened slightly, about 3 minutes.  Turn off the heat and stir in the arugula and the chopped eggs, adding a splash or two of the pasta water to help the sauce cover the greens.  When the arugula has wilted, add the pasta, cheese, and herbs, and toss to coat pasta, stirring in more of the cooking water as needed.

Top each serving with some extra grated parm and enjoy!

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