Arugula

Sorry for the out of focus picture. The arugula sprouts are so tiny that the picture came out blurry.

I've posted about arugula many times in the past. I've talked about planting, harvesting and saving seeds.
That's because arugula is one of my favorite greens. While the peppery taste can be a bit overpowering for some people, I love the strong taste and the hearty greens can be planted in early spring (these sprouts were planted April 10th) when other greens would surely not germinate.

The other thing that I love about arugula is its versatility. You can harvest the leaves when they are young and made a wonderful salad. Or you can mix the leaves in a salad with milder greens to make a less potent mix. You can use the leaves in sandwiches and I have even made a pesto of arugula leaves.

But, my all time favorite way to have arugula is when the leaves are fully mature and thick like spinach. I take the leaves and cut out any heavy stems and wash and dry them well. Then, I cook some nice pasta (Penne does especially well in this recipe). Once Al Dente, I drain the pasta and reserve about half a cup of pasta water. I put a clove or two of minced garlic (raw, not cooked) in a large bowl with some olive oil and add the hot pasta. It is very important to add the pasta hot as it will cook the garlic. Toss until the garlic is well mixed and heated through and then quickly add the arugula. Again, the pasta must be very hot to wilt the arugula. You can add Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and olive oil to taste. I know this may sound long but this recipe is super quick and easy and so very tasty. It will only be a few weeks before I can make this dish with my own arugula.