We all know that I love Chrissy Tiegen. So when her cookbook came out I bought it immediately. I decided to work my way through it and cook all of it. Of course I started with the easiest recipe, and I’m sharing it with all of you. The recipe is straight from her cookbook because I absolutely followed it word for word – first time that’s ever happened. And yes, you’ll notice I didn’t add the pancetta for mine. That’s because this pregnancy = equals very little meat for me. Here it is Lemony Arugula Spaghetti!

Ingredients

Kosher salt
12 ounces dried spaghetti
1/4 pound pancetta or bacon, finely diced (about 3/4 cup)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons minced garlic (about 4 big cloves)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano – Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
3 cups baby arugula

In a large pot of heavily salted boiling water, cook the spaghetti to al dente according to the package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the pancetta over medium-high heat until crisped, 7 to 9 minutes. Add the olive oil, then add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and black pepper and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the lemon juice to the skillet, then toss in the drained pasta and toss to coat. Add the parm, and toss, adding the pasta water, a couple of tablespoons at a time, just to help the cheese coat the pasta. Add the arugula and toss until it wilts, about 1 minute. Season to taste with additional salt, lots of black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Serve with more parm.