Linguine with Tuna, Arugula and Lemon

This week has been a doozy. Work has been piling up, there have been more than a few fires to put out, and events and dinners every single night without exception. Needless to say, I haven't had much time to cook, let alone shop for groceries. My refrigerator is a barren wasteland of week-old parsley, eggs, and a few sticks of butter. I hate that.

No matter how busy I get, I like to be able to make my own meals--the vicious cycle of ordering endless takeout will not only put a dent in your wallet, it'll also undoubtedly add inches to your waistline. After all, there's no way of knowing how much oil, butter, salt, and other fattening ingredients are in a dish unless you make it yourself. And everyone knows a restaurant's primary goal is to make their food taste good, which usually means more of those ingredients than one would think.

Anyway, I digress. The point is--there I was working away from home with no end in sight and no time to run out for a Whole Foods shopping trip. I didn't particularly feel like ordering in, but I didn't have time to restock my fridge. I paused for a second to half-heartedly flip through this month's Bon Appetit for some lunch inspiration, and what did I see but a perfect solution to my dilemma: Linguine with Tuna, Arugula and Lemon! It consists of a mere seven ingredients, five of which I already had hanging out in my kitchen. All I had to do was run across the street to my local deli and pick up a lemon and a handful of arugula, and voila! A delicious, quick homemade lunch, no delivery required.

Linguine with Tuna, Arugula and Lemon
Adapted from Bon Appetit, November 2010
Serves 1
Ingredients:
Linguine (enough for 1 person)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch of dried crushed red pepper
1 small can of albacore tuna, packed in water, drained
A few tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
2 cups arugula 

Directions:
Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot.

Meanwhile, heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and crushed red pepper. Sauté 30 seconds. Add tuna; stir to heat through.

Add tuna mixture, lemon juice, lemon peel and arugula to pasta. Toss over low heat just until arugula wilts, about 2 minutes. Add reserved pasta cooking liquid to moisten, if needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.