Linguine with Arugula Pesto

Fresh linguine with peppery arugula pesto, cottage cheese, and Parmesan. Creamy, bright, and entirely nut-free.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 14 oz linguine

02 - Salt for pasta water

→ Arugula Pesto

03 - 3 cups loosely packed fresh arugula

04 - 2/3 cup cottage cheese

05 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

06 - 1 garlic clove

07 - 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

08 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

09 - 1/4 teaspoon salt, adjusted to taste

10 - Freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ To Serve

11 - Extra fresh arugula leaves for garnish

12 - Additional grated Parmesan cheese for topping

13 - Freshly ground black pepper

# Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add linguine and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water before draining.

02 - While pasta cooks, combine arugula, cottage cheese, Parmesan, garlic clove, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper in a food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy, scraping down sides as needed. Taste and adjust seasonings.

03 - Return drained linguine to the pot. Add arugula pesto and toss thoroughly to coat all pasta, gradually incorporating reserved pasta water until sauce reaches desired consistency.

04 - Transfer to serving plates immediately. Top each portion with fresh arugula leaves, additional grated Parmesan, and a generous twist of freshly ground black pepper.

# Expert Tips:

01 -

The cottage cheese makes it impossibly creamy without any nuts, which means no last-minute store runs.
It comes together in the time it takes to boil pasta, so you can actually relax while dinner cooks.
The peppery arugula gives it a grown-up edge that feels special even on a Tuesday.

02 -

Don't skip reserving the pasta water, it's the only thing that will loosen the pesto without making it oily.
Taste the pesto before tossing, arugula varies in bitterness, so you might want extra lemon or a pinch more salt.

03 -