Orecchiette with Arugula and Potato

From the garden

• 8 cups arugula, packed, thick stems removed
• 2 medium waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

From the pantry

• 1 lb orecchiette
• ⅓ cup olive oil · divided between the breadcrumbs and the garlic oil
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes
• ¾ cup coarse breadcrumbs · the southern Italian stand-in for grated cheese
• 1 lemon · juice only
• salt · to taste
• black pepper

1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and salt it heavily. Toast the breadcrumbs in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat, stirring, 3–4 minutes until deep gold, then set aside.
2. Add the diced potatoes to the boiling water and cook 5 minutes, then drop in the orecchiette and cook until al dente. Boiling them in one pot puts the potato starch straight into the sauce.
3. Warm the remaining oil in a wide skillet over medium-low, add the sliced garlic and pepper flakes, and cook 2 minutes to pale gold. Pull the pan off the heat before the garlic browns.
4. Scoop out a cup of the starchy cooking water, drain the pasta and potatoes, and tip them straight into the skillet with the garlic oil.
5. Pile the arugula on top and toss over medium heat with splashes of pasta water, 1–2 minutes, until the leaves collapse and the sauce turns glossy. Season with the lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
6. Scatter the toasted breadcrumbs over each bowl at the table. They are the point of the dish and they need to stay crisp, so never stir them into the pot.