"all that glisters is not gold": fettuccine with leeks

Living in NYC, it's not uncommon to spot celebrities around town. I have friends who have seen SJP, Mr. Schuester, and Whitney Port - my own last sighting was "Boston Legal's" James Spader as I was crossing 55th Street on Broadway (he looked good). And even though I work in media and have friends who hobnob with the beautiful people, I still get star struck like a 15 year old girl at a Justin Bieber concert. I try to play it cool but there's just something fascinating about how the "other half" lives. Especially Academy Award-winning actors. Like Al Pacino. Who is playing Shylock in this summer's Shakespeare in the Park rendition of "The Merchant of Venice." (!!)

Bf has the summer off, so he waited in line with the crazies from 9:30am until 1pm to win our free tickets to last night's performance. Aside from the Philharmonic in the Park picnic night in July, Shakespeare in the Park performances are pretty high up there on my list of favorite summer nights. It's a must-do experience for any New Yorker, and if you can't skip out of work to sit in the park waiting for the free tickets to be handed out, the plays are very much worth the $50/pair to pay a "line-sitter" on Craigslist. We got lucky a couple weeks ago and ended up with tickets to "A Winter's Tale," the other play at Central Park's Delacorte Theater this summer, and it was fabulous (RENT's Jesse Martin is GREAT). The "Merchant of Venice" was no different, with many of the same artists from "A Winter's Tale" and the addition of Pacino and a few others. The caliber of acting is phenomenal, and the outdoor atmosphere of the Delacorte is just amazing - even if it's 90 degrees with no breeze like last night ;)

I got home from work before the show and we whipped up our own little "to go" dinners to take with us. Bf had stopped at Stew Leonard's that afternoon and brought back fresh fettuccine and garlic bread, so we went for an italian-inspired meal. I had tried this pasta recipe last week and loved it, and it was the perfect addition to our evening.

Yes, it's another Real Simple recipe (I promise to branch out next post) but it's delicious, and the fresh flavor of the leeks and garlic really shine (and the yellow of the corn and green of the arugula make a pretty plate).

Here's to sweating it out for the rest of the summer - whether watching Shakespeare or reading a Twilight book :)

Creamy Fettuccine with Leeks, Corn, and Arugula

Real Simple

12 oz fettuccine

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 leeks (white and light green parts), cut into thin half-moons

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

kosher salt and black pepper

1 cup corn kernels (from 1-2 ears, or frozen)

1/2 cup dry white wine (I used the Napa Valley Chardonnay we were drinking)

3/4 cup heavy cream

2 cups baby arugula

1/4 cup grated pecorino

Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the leeks, garlic, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 3-4 minutes. Add the corn and wine and simmer until corn is tender, 2-3 minutes; stir in the cream.

Add the pasta, season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Fold in the arugula. Sprinkle with pecorino before serving.