Sunday, September 02, 2012

Adventurous with Arugula and a Summer Pasta Bowl


Before I joined Restoration Farm, green was just another color on a paint chip and iceberg was about as exotic as things got when it came to lettuce.  How things have changed.  Summer salads now feature heaps of leafy red and butter lettuce, piled high with young and tender peppery greens like mizuna and arugula. 
These little greens have big personalities and give salad lots of extra bite.  Arugula grows wild in southern Europe and is a relative of the radish.   It has a leaf shaped like an exclamation point and a sharp flavor resembling mustard or pepper.
I’m even getting adventurous when it comes to greens, moving beyond salads to include them in hot dishes.  This recipe for Linguine with Tapenade, Tomatoes and Arugula from Everyday Food defies my iceberg roots.  Arugula leaves are quickly tossed with hot whole wheat pasta and sautéed cherry tomatoes for extra spice.
I even add an extra local touch, and top the pasta with fresh feta cheese from the Catapano Goat Cheese Dairy on the North Fork of Long Island.   
Not bad for a guy who once thought iceberg was the only shade of green.
©2012 T.W. Barritt All Rights Reserved   

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am so happy that you discovered the taste & flavour of arugula! I sow them every year in batches!

This pasta is a great, simple but tasty one to use it in!
I love the topped goat's feta cheese,...It must add tons of flavour: Yummy too! :)

Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...

Aren't you the adventuresome one. As far as greens go, I still haven't gotten past salads yet. Love that homegrown arugula. So different from what I find in a store and I bet it is more tender too.
Sam

Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) said...

That's my kind of pasta dish! Add a few herbs from your own herb garden, too, and send it right over the moon.

Kalyn Denny said...

I love the sound of that arugula pasta dish. You're right that using a variety of greens can really jazz up a salad. Greens don't do too well in Utah gardens because it gets too hot too soon most years, but I am attempting some fall greens this year! Fingers crossed!

~~louise~~ said...

Hi T.W!

I've been having the darndest time introducing Marion to Arugula. She's an iceberg gal from way back when and she just "tosses" it whenever I try to sneak it in. However, she adores linguine (no garlic) so I may just rustle up a pasta salad like yours to entice her over to greener pastures:)

A safe and enjoyable Labor Day weekend to you and yours, T.W. Thanks for sharing...

Catherine said...

Dear T.W., I love all those different greens too. They do make a terrific salad and are excellent with spaghetti.
I am glad to see that you like them too. Have a wonderful evening. Blessings, Catherine

Barbara said...

Hah....my father wouldn't eat anything BUT iceberg. It always made me cringe. (With thousand island dressing, of course)
I LOVE arugula. And yours is perfection.

Zany said...

I really need to stop reading this blog during my lunch. Now I'm craving a pizza with arugula and parm cheese! Your macaroni (as Luigi would prefer I say, instead of pasta) dish looks amazing!

Karen (Back Road Journal) said...

Not bad is right...your pasta looks delicious.

Gloria Baker said...

Dear T.W. these look really awesome I love it!:)

Stacey Snacks said...

Hi TW,
I could eat fresh arugula everyday....it's my go to green. Hope you had a great summer! I hate to see the produce go.....
Stacey

Fresh Local and Best said...

Isn't homegrown arugula the best! It's so potent and spicy and always beats out what you find at the store!

tasteofbeirut said...

I was in France recently and was discussing what to do with iceberg lettuce with a French lady I met; she said she cooks it with garlic and olive oil, says it is delicious this way.