Arugula pesto penne | 15-minute fresh Italian pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and once rolling, salt generously. Add the dried penne pasta and cook for 1 minute less than indicated on the package to keep it perfectly al dente. Before draining, ladle out a mug (approx. 150 ml) of the starchy cooking water, as this is key to making the pesto creamy.

Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until fragrant, then transfer to a cutting board and let cool.

Prepare the pesto: place three-quarters of the washed, dried arugula, most of the cooled toasted walnuts, the crushed garlic clove, grated Parmesan, and grated Pecorino into a food processor. Drizzle in 1 teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice, then season with salt and pepper. Start pulsing while pouring in the extra virgin olive oil in a thin stream until you achieve a silky, creamy paste.