Linguine with Mortadella and Arugula a la Tony (from The Palm Restaurant cookbook, to be released in August '03)
Serves 2
The mortadella for this unusual but very simple dish must be torn by hand. Slicing or cutting just won’t do, says Tony. He prefers to use pure olive oil for cooking the garlic in this recipe, because he feels the peppery extra-virgin oil might overwhelm the delicate flavor of the mortadella. But a discreet dash of it at the end adds a nice little zing. This is another of those indispensable "while the pasta cooks" recipes, so be sure to do your preparation and measuring before you put the pasta into the boiling water. Note that this dish doesn’t appear on any Palm menu, because Tony feels he’s the only chef who can make it properly.

Kosher salt, for cooking the pasta
1/2 pound dried imported linguine, preferably DeCecco
1/4 cup pure olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, crushed with the side of a large, heavy knife
1/2 pound thinly sliced mortadella, torn into 2- to 3-inch pieces
1 pound baby arugula, stemmed, washed, and dried
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Place all the ingredients near the stove, and place 2 large pasta bowls or plates in a low oven to warm.
Put a large pot of lightly salted water on to boil for the pasta. When the water is boiling furiously, add the pasta and stir; after a few minutes, reduce the heat slightly to prevent the water from boiling over. Cook until al dente, about 10 minutes..
As soon as you add the pasta to the pot, place a large saute pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. When the pan is hot, add the garlic. Cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes, until the garlic is just golden brown; do not let it burn. Add the mortadella, and saute for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes, until aromatic and golden around the edges. Add the arugula, crushed red pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 2 turns of the peppermill, and toss over the heat for 1 minute more. The arugula should be just slightly wilted. Remove the pan from the heat.
Drain the pasta, reserving about 1 tablespoon of the cooking water, and return the pasta to the pot in which it was cooked. Add the chicken stock, the mortadella mixture, and the reserved pasta water. Toss together and serve at once, mounding the pasta into the warm bowls and distributing the ingredients equally. Remove the garlic, if desired. Drizzle each portion with a little extra-virgin olive oil, and serve at once.