Completely Homemade

When all of our wonderful guests had finally gone, Adam and I wanted to make a fantastic meal for each other completely from scratch. The weather was beautiful and so we wanted something really fresh and light. We decided to make homemade fettuccine with an arugula pesto accompanied by a simple salad of greens with a homemade balsamic vinaigrette. To make the meal really simple, buy fresh pasta from the grocery store--it will still taste absolutely wonderful. (The recipe for the pasta is in Impress the Guests.) We are still using the leftover arugula pesto to adorn various snacks and sandwiches.
Linguine with Arugula Pesto (Cooking Light, April 2009)

12 oz. uncooked linguine
1 Tbs. pine nuts, toasted
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 cups loosely packed arugula
2 cups loosely packed basil leaves
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
6 Tbs. grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Place pasta in a bowl.
2. Place 1 Tbs. pine nuts and garlic in a food processor; process until minced. Add arugula and the next 5 ingredients (through black pepper), and process until well combined.
3. Add arugula mixture and reserved cooking liquid to serving bowl; toss well to coat. Serve with cheese.