I needed a pasta course last night that would be perfect for dining al fresco. Wanted something light yet flavorful. My search led me to Molto Bataliby Mario Batali, where I found the recipe below for Farfalle with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Arugula.

Farfalle with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Arugula Adapted from Molto Mario.

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
10 oil-packed sun-dried tomato halves, thinly sliced
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons salt
1 1/2 pounds farfalle pasta
4 cups (about 5 ounces) baby arugula, trimmed

Bring 8 quarts of water to boil in a large pasta pot.

While the water is heating, heat the olive oil in a 14-inch sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until light golden brown. (I added my thinly sliced garlic to the cold oil. I watched it carefully, stirring occasionally so that the garlic would cook slowly and not get overly browned. If your garlic should burn, start over.)

Add the sliced sun-dried tomatoes and the wine to the oil and garlic, and bring to a boil to create your sauce. Remove from the heat.

Add the salt to the boiling water. Drop the farfalle into the boiling water and cook for 1 minute less that the package instructions indicate. Just before the pasta is done, carefully ladle 1/4 cup of the pasta water into the sauté pan containing the sauce.

Drain the pasta in a colander and add it to the pan containing the sauce. Add the arugula and toss well. Over medium heat, toss again for about 30 seconds, until the pasta is nicely coated, and then pour into a warmed serving bowl.

Serve immediately.

This recipe serves up to 10 as a first course or 6 as a main. If you are only making only a pound of pasta, I would not reduce the ingredients for the sauce.

We ended our meal with the some fresh cherries and Pecorino Romano Genuino. The term “genuino” can only be used for Romano produced in Lazio, the province of Rome. I find it a bit milder and more flavorful than other types of pecorino Romano.

Our dinner wine was a delicious chilled Chiaretto Valtenesi from producer Pasini San Giovanni, a blend of Groppello, Marzemino, Barbera and Sangiovese.

Wine Pairing:  Dry Rosé.