Mararoni with Arugula and Fresh Tomatoes, Andrian Style

Ingredients

1/4 c virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, well crushed
2 lb tomatoes, cored, peeled, crushed
1 bunch (ca. 2 c) arugula, washed, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 lb short pasta such as penne, small rigatoni, fusili, etc.
1 1/3 c grated pecorino cheese

Method

Heat the olive oil, cook the onion until transparent, add garlic, fry until golden and fragrant. Add tomatoes, stir well. Cook about 30 minutes.
Cook pasta, add arugula after 2 minutes. Drain when pasta is al dente. Arange on plates, top with tomato sauce and sprinkle cheese over top. Makes 6 servings.

Source

Adapted from a recipe card promoting The Food of Southern Italy by Carlo Middione.

Comments

Another cookbook highly praised by people who own it for containing a collection of recipes that are both excellent and authentic. This recipe is simple to prepare, but looks very good. I might make it if I had arugula. Some suggested substitutes are Belgian endive, escarole, spinach (maybe combined with watercress), chard. The pecorino cheese is similar to Parmesan.
It would have been good if the recipe had indicated about how long the arugula should be cooked, for if the pasta takes longer to cook, it should be added later.