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Eight Great Recipes Featuring Arugula
Arugula is a pungent, peppery salad green
that has been widely used in
Italy
since ancient Roman times. It was virtually unknown in the United States
until the 1970s when it, along with other exotic mesclun greens from the
Mediterranean region, such as radicchio and mache, caught the wave of
interest in the new style of seasonal cooking known as California
cuisine -- and rode that wave into the periphery of the mainstream
American diet. Arugula is now widely available in farmers markets, even
though it is still seldom seen in the average American supermarket.
To the uninitiated, arugula can take some getting used to, though it is
an easily acquired taste if properly presented.
In relatively small quantities, shreds of arugula can add a touch
of spice to any salad without overwhelming it. It is also excellent as
the dominant or even sole green in a salad with fruit or a fruity
dressing to offset its pungency. To those who find it a bit too peppery
for their taste, a portion of the arugula in any of these recipes can be
replaced with spinach.
Apple Vinaigrette
Arugula
and Pear Salad
Arugula,
Orange
and Red Onion Salad
Arugula,
Orange
and Fennel Salad
Grilled Fig and Arugula Salad
Arugula and Red Pepper Pesto
Arugula and Olive Pesto
Linguine with Arugula, Pine Nuts and
Parmesan Cheese
This is an excellent dressing for an arugula and/or spinach salad.
For more layers of flavor complexity, add walnuts and/or feta
cheese and/or crumbled bacon.
Apple
Vinaigrette
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons grated sweet or purple onion
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup finely chopped apple
1. Whisk together sugar, vinegar, onion, mustard, salt, oil, and
apple, or pulse a few times in blender.
2. Refrigerate salad greens and dressing separately until serving time.
Arugula
and Pear Salad
Dressing:
2 tablespoons minced shallot
3 tablespoons vegetable broth
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Salad:
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 firm red Bartlett pears
5 cups butterhead lettuce (Bibb or Boston)
washed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
4 cups arugula, trimmed, washed and dried
1. To prepare dressing, whisk shallots, broth, oil, vinegar, mustard,
salt and pepper in a small bowl.
2. To prepare salad, toast walnuts in a small dry skillet over
medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
Transfer to a small bowl and let cool.
3. Just before serving, cut pears into 16 slices each. Place in a large
bowl. Spoon on 1 tablespoon of the dressing and toss to coat. Add
lettuce, arugula and the remaining dressing; toss well. Divide among 8
plates. Top with walnuts.
Arugula,
Orange
and Red Onion Salad
2 bunches
arugula, washed and trimmed
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 large navel oranges, peel and white pith removed, cut into segments
8 very thin slices red onion, separated into rings
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Drizzle the arugula with half of the olive oil and the lemon
juice; toss to coat and divide among 4 salad plates.
2. Arrange the orange segments and onions on top, dividing evenly.
Drizzle with remaining oil and season with black pepper.
Arugula,
Orange
and Fennel Salad
Salad:
1 large fennel bulb
1 red onion, shaved paper thin
2 cup mandarin orange segments
6 bunches fresh arugula
1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (optional)
Vinaigrette:
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon
Dijon
mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon turbinado or other brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1. Trim off the top off the fennel bulb. Slice the fennel and onion
paper thin.
3. To prepare the vinaigrette, combine ingredients in a mixing bowl and
whisk.
4. Toss the arugula, fennel and onion with vinaigrette, divide among
serving plates and top with mandarin orange slices, walnuts and, if
desire, pomegranate seeds.
Grilled
Fig and Arugula Salad
8 large
black mission figs or 12 smaller green figs
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus
extra for brushing figs
1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons aged
balsamic vinegar, divided
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 lb. arugula
1/2 lb. ricotta salata, grated
1/4 lb. proscuitto, julienned
1. Rinse and trim stem end of figs and split lengthwise.
2. Whisk olive oil into 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar and season with salt
and pepper. Toss arugula with vinaigrette.
3. Lightly brush figs with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Grill or broil figs one minute on each side. Remove figs from heat and
toss with remaining 3 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar.
4. Place figs on a bed of greens then sprinkle with cheese and
Proscuitto and serve.
Arugula
and Red Pepper Pesto
1/2 lb.
arugula
1 1/2 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar or honey
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
4 roasted red peppers
1 cup toasted piņon nuts
1 cup toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1 cup olive oil
1. Blend everything together in a food processor, stopping to scrape
sides and processing again. We like the pesto rich, salty and oily. A
few cloves of sweet roasted garlic are a nice addition.
2. Older arugula can be bitter; this pesto can be cut with fresh spinach
for milder flavor.
3. Spread on pizza crust, and top with cheese & veggies; toss with
hot pasta (ziti is a particularly good vehicle); add to sour cream for a
dip. You can freeze the pesto in greased ice cube trays for easy-access
portions.
Arugula
and Olive Pesto
3 cups
arugula
1/2 cup best-quality extra virgin olive oil
1 small clove garlic, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup coarsely chopped kalamata olives, or other oil-cured black olive
1/4 tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
1. Place all ingredients except cheese in the bowl of a food
processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until smooth, scraping
down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
2. Transfer mixture to a small bowl and stir in the cheese. Taste for
seasonings adding salt or pepper as desired.
Makes enough sauce for one pound of pasta.
Linguine
with Arugula, Pine Nuts
and Parmesan Cheese
1 pound
linguine
1/2 cup olive oil
4 ounces arugula, trimmed
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
additional freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1. Cook linguine in large pot of boiling salted water until just
tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add
arugula and stir until just wilted, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat.
3. Drain pasta and return to pot. Add arugula and toss well. Add 1 cup
Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste; toss well.
4. Transfer to bowl. Sprinkle with pine nuts. Serve immediately, adding
additional Parmesan, if desired. |
