secret recipe club: pasta with blistered tomatoes & arugula and iced grapefruit cookies

last march, i made this whole wheat grapefruit cake for my secret recipe club selection and fell in love with grapefruit in baked goods. so this march, when i stumbled on these pink grapefruit cookies at life of a modern housewife for this month's secret recipe club, i knew they would be delicious. it just so happened i had absolutely nothing planned for dinner that same saturday night, so lucky for me while browsing her recipes, i also found this fettuccine with blistered tomatoes and arugula. it's one of my favorite kind of meals - meatless, pasta, and ready in less than 30 minutes. i will definitely be making it again.

while both recipes were delicious, i made a few slight changes. to the pasta, i swapped out fettuccine for bowties and since arugula comes in a 5 ounce bag from my grocery store, i added all 5, instead of the 4 ounces the original recipe called for. for the cookies, i am simply too lazy to roll them out. sure, they would have been perfectly round, but i prefer the slice and bake method to save time and the mess. and instead of sandwiching them, i topped each with some buttercream. and then ate half a dozen or so in one afternoon. fresh cookies are dangerous in my house.

for more information on the secret recipe club, including the list of participating bloggers, featured recipes from members, and instructions on how to join, visit the secret recipe club website!
 

check out my previous secret recipe club posts: mushroom barley soup, scalloped ham and potato bake & andes mint cake, chicken souvlaki with tzatziki, asian pork chops, lemon lime meltaways, blueberry peach crisp, minted lemon ice, white chocolate macadamia nut blondies, raspberry cream filled eclairs, jam swirled cheesecake, whole wheat grapefruit cake, chewy no bake granola bars & carrot cinnamon waffles, cannoli, gingerbread muffins, double chocolate peanut butter chip oatmeal cookies, butterscotch peach cake, whole wheat honey pancakes, minted pineapple lime agua fresca, breakfast tacos, simple almond sandwich cookies, & roasted banana rum cake.

pasta with blistered tomatoes and arugula
adapted from life of a modern housewife
25 minutes, serves 4

1 pound bow tie or other short cut pasta
3 garlic cloves, minced
pinch red pepper flakes
10 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
5 ounces baby arugula
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

1. cook the pasta according to the package directions. save 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water, drain, and set aside.
2. while the pasta is cooking, make the sauce. coat the bottom of a large skillet with olive oil and place over medium heat. add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. add tomatoes and cook, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes soften, about 8 minutes. stir in balsamic vinegar. season with salt and pepper. if the pasta is still cooking, remove from heat.
3. return the skillet to medium heat and add arugula. cook, tossing often, until leaves wilt. add pasta and stir well to incorporate. add about half the pasta cooking water and cook a couple minutes until absorbed.
4. remove from heat and stir in the mozzarella cubes and parmesan cheese. serve immediately.

iced grapefruit cookies
adapted from life of a modern housewife
makes 48 two inch cookies

for the cookies:
grated zest and juice of one grapefruit
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

for the buttercream:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons grapefruit juice

1. with a mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, a couple minutes. add egg yolks and mix until combined. add the zest and mix until combined.
2. with the mixer on low, add the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix until combined, then add the juice, and cake flour. mix until combined.
3. divide dough roughly in half and turn each half out onto a piece of plastic wrap. using your hands, form into a log about 2 inches in diameter. repeat with the remaining dough. refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
4. preheat your oven to 350F. line a baking sheet with parchment paper. remove a dough log from the refrigerator. slice into 1/8 inch slices and arrange one inch apart on the baking sheet. bake until the edges are golden, about 10 minutes. transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. while the cookies are cooling, make the buttercream. beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. add the honey and grapefruit juice and mix until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. 
6. spread each cookie with a thin layer of buttercream. store in an airtight container.