rustic summer fettuccine

I dreaded Sundays in college. It meant homework, and a lot of it, sorority meetings and Monday's soon arrival. Now that I've graduated, Sunday has become one of my favorite days of the week. I get to sleep in, I'm never quite as hungover as I was in college and I can do ANYTHING I want all day. And for me, that usually means cooking.

Some Sundays are more ambitious than others, and this was one of them. I decided I wanted to make homemade pasta. Don't be scared, it's not as difficult or time consuming as one may think. If you have a Kitchen Aid Mixer, go buy yourself the pasta roller attachment and it's even faster! I have an old school pasta roller that takes a little more muscle, but it's adorable and produces the same great results.

If you're going to go ahead and make your own pasta, why not make something that's NOT readily available at the grocery! I usually make a plain egg pasta, but this time I went out on a limb and tried whole wheat black pepper fettuccine. I have no idea why I've never tried this before because it was delicious...


So now I've got beautiful homemade pasta and.....? Well, a sauce would be nice! With the temperature still breaking 100 degrees everyday, I thought something light would be perfect — fresh vegetables, herbs and chicken. This rustic sauce was a lovely compliment to the fettuccine. The black pepper gave it just enough kick and the sauce's simple flavors allowed you to really taste the pasta.

Being the arugula fiend that I am, I served it with an arugula salad tossed with leftover lemon parmesan dressing, another recipe that's ideal for a sweltering day.

Ahhhh, got to love those lazy post-college Sundays.

Whole Wheat Black Pepper Fettuccine
Serves 4-5

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 Tbsp fresh cracked black pepper
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp salt

Combine flour, cracked black pepper & salt on a large wooden cutting board. Make a well in the middle and pour the beaten eggs in the middle. With a fork add a little bit of the flour at a time to combine. Continue to incorporate more flour and the mixture will soon thicken. Once it becomes too difficult to mix with your fork, start mixing with (clean) hands. Knead the dough until well combined. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes. After resting, cut ball into 4 equal pieces and run through the pasta roller into sheets, starting at the widest and then to the smallest. Then run through the fettuccine cutter. Hang over wooden spoons or something equivalent to dry. Cook in boiling salted water for about 4-5 minutes, or until al dente. Toss with sauce.

** On the widest setting of the pasta maker you'll probably have to run the dough through several times until you get a good even piece, don't get discouraged! If it tears, dust with flour.

Rustic Summer Sauce 
Serves 2-3

• 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 yellow onion, julienned
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• 2-3 sundried tomatoes, chopped
• 1 roasted red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 cup of green peas, frozen
• 1/2 can of chicken broth, reduced by half
• 1 chicken breast, roasted & cubed or shredded
• 1 Tbsp chopped basil
• S&P to taste
• 2-3 handfuls arugula
• fresh parmesan for sprinkling
• 1 recipe whole wheat black pepper fettuccine

In a large straight-sided skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions and cook for 8 minutes until translucent and tender. Add tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, bell pepper, garlic and oregano and reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 8 minutes. Add peas, chicken broth and chicken and continue to simmer for another 8 minutes. Meanwhile cook pasta. Add basil to sauce and season to taste. Toss pasta with sauce and serve each bowl with a handful of fresh arugula & parmesan on top.