Spaghetti with Arugula, Tomato, and Avocado

"Cookbooks hit you where you live. You want comfort; you want security; you want food; and you want to not be hungry.



"And not only do you want these basic things fixed, you want it done in a really nice, gentle way that makes you feel loved.



"That's the big desire, and cookbooks say to the person reading them, 'if you read me, you will be able to do this for yourself and for others. You will make everybody feel better.'"



I like this. It's from Laurie Colwin in her book "More Home Cooking." I like cookbooks. And cooking. Do you?





More from Everyday Epicurean here today, remember that pasta I botched last week? Right. Let's not talk about that anymore. Because I'm happy to say this one came out much, MUCH nicer.



The olive oil was nearly all I needed, its smooth, nutty flavor with the chewy pasta? Heaven. It blended really nicely with the soft, ripe avocado. And then everything was just punctuated by the occasional tang of tomato.



Lesson learned, Italian food. Simplicity really is key.



Although I admit I did use linguine instead of spaghetti. Ha!

Spaghetti with Arugula, Tomato, and Avocado (adapted from Catherine Bell's Everyday Epicurean)

3 - 4 medium tomatoes (you can peel and seed if you like, but I didn't)
large handful of baby arugula
1 ripe avocado, halved, pittaed, peeled and thinly sliced crosswise
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
5 T extra virgin olive oil
2 t white wine vinegar
pinch chile flakes, more to taste
sea salt
1 lb dried spaghetti

Slice the tomatoes very thinly. Place in a large bowl and add the arugula, avocado, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and chile flakes. Season with salt to taste. Toss gently, then let stand while you cook the pasta, stirring the salad gently from time to time.

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water until al dente. Drain pasta and transfer to the bowl containing the salad. Toss well and serve.