I'm In Love With Andrea Immer

My favorite cookbook of all time, you ask? Why, that would be Everyday Dining with Wine, by the indomitable Andrea Immer, wine goddess and chef extraordinaire. In this book, Andrea walks you step by step through all the varietals, and offers up gorgeously delicious recipes that are well-matched to particular categories of grapes. Admittedly, however, since Chris and I don't drink much on weekdays we often eat Andrea's food without wine. And it is still AMAZINGLY GOOD.

Andrea's Linguine with Walnuts, Arugula and Olives is one of my favorites from the book so far (others include the Yukon Gold Potato and Cauliflower Soup with Truffle Oil, the Warm Wild Mushroom Salad with Black Truffle Vinaigrette, the Oven-Crisped Potatoes with Thyme and Pumpkinseed Oil...honestly the list goes on and on). In this recipe, the pasta isn't surrounded by tame-tasting liquid--it's enrobed in olive oil "spiked" with a few intense ingredients--fleur de sel, peppery arugula, salty olives, garlic, parmigiano-reggiano, and toasted walnut pieces. The combination is making my mouth water just thinking about it. So try it!!

Note: Andrea recommends pairing this dish with Cabernet Sauvignon--she notes that "the toasty walnuts and arugula highlight the toastiness of oak in the wines, while the vegetal flavors of the olives and arugula pick up Cabernet's cedary-tobacco-minty notes."

Ingredients
1 pound linguine fini or other thin, flat noodle
1/3 cup walnut pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 cups tightly packed baby arugula leaves, washed and dried
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (plus more for drizzling, if desired)
1/3 cup pitted, chopped black olives
1/4 cup grated Manchego or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
Coarse sea salt such as fleur de sel

1. Add a tbsp of salt to a large pot filled with 4 quarts of water. Bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook to al dente.

2. While pasta is cooking, place walnuts in a large dry skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan frequently, and cook until browned and fragrant, 3-4 min. Set aside to cool slightly, then chop roughly and reserve.

3. In the same skillet heat the 2 tbsp olive oil on medium, and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, until the garlic begins to soften and turn golden, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

4. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water, and transfer it to the skillet with the garlic. Turn heat to medium. Stir in the arugula and the 1/4 cup olive oil and toss to coat the pasta with the oil and wilt the arugula. Stir in the walnuts and olives, tossing to combine. If the pasta seems dry, add a little of the reserved pasta water.

5. Remove the pasta from the heat and drizzle with a little more olive oil, if desired. Stir in the cheese, adding more to taste, black pepper, and a sprinkling of the fleur de sel. Serve immediately.