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Where has this tasty little green been all my life?
Arugula, roquette, rocket or garden rocket . . . whatever you call it, it’s delicious and I can’t believe that I’d never tasted it before this year. After eating it in California last winter, I was completely smitten. In spite of its diminutive size, the flavor is big – spicy & pungent. I bought seeds and decided to give it a try in my garden. It came up quickly and it’s still going strong. I love it cooked or raw and end up munching a great deal of it straight off the plant while I’m tending the garden.
When I saw that Lisetta at Mangiare Bene, posted a recipe for Spaghetti alla Rughetta e Pomodoro I was positively giddy – her food is real-deal Italian and I couldn’t wait to give it a try. The simple ingredients were so pretty, I had to snap a shot to share. 
According to Lisetta, you toss the plate of rughetta (roquette) “into a bowl with some chopped tomato, steaming hot spaghetti, garlic-infused olive oil and a few crumbles of goat cheese.” Now how’s that for a simple recipe? Unfortunately, I did not have any goat cheese, but was quite rich with aged Pecorino Romano which added a nice tangy touch. I started with chopped garlic in EVO oil over medium heat in a large skillet. When I smelled the garlic, I added the veggies and cooked it just enough to wilt the greens and warm the tomatoes. Then I added the steaming hot spaghetti and grated a good amount of cheese and grated fresh black pepper over all. This was every bit as tasty as it looks.
Another perfect use for arugula is simply chopped or torn into a tossed salad. Many nights the salad is our main course with a hearty bread, dipping oil and a little wine. I try to add some sort of protein on those occassions – in this instance it was meat candy (a.k.a. crumbled bacon).
This is my favorite place to unwind with a glass of wine after a stressful day at the office. 
I’m ending this post with a gratuitous shot of raspberries and Swiss chard – now it’s time to water the gardens.
Part Three 
Dear Lord! You photograph food beautifully! You could be hired as a stylist for magazines in a heartbeat!
(I meant every exclamation point!!!)
What a nice compliment, Russ! I love taking food shots and blogging is a great outlet for that. It doesn’t hurt that I live in such a beautiful part of the world.
Great post and I agree with Russ! Beautiful photos. What’s this black and white checkered plate all about? Love it. Don’t know why I don’t grab arugula at the grocery store more often. I sure will now. But for now, I still can’t get over these photos.
That platter is a hand-me-down from my little sister and I adore it! She collects Mackenzie-Childs Courtly Check enamelware and I’m so jealous she started first. She has started a collection for me of the Flower Market pattern, so I’ll get over it. Thanks for the kudos!
Good to hear from you Vickie. Your gardens look very good and so do the berries, dishes, and produce – I like the hat inclusion. Don’t know if you watch Giada on Food Network, but she makes lots of dishes with arugula – if you’re looking for recipes.
I’ll have check out some of her recipes – I don’t watch the food network all that often, but I should get some of her cookbooks as much as I love Italian cooking. Thanks for complimenting my garden – coming from a master gardener, I’m flattered!
Hi Vickie: Thanks for commenting on so many of my blog posts. Wanted to write you back an email, but couldn’t find an address. I don’t know any secrets about growing spinach – I just put the seeds in the ground and they come up. LOL They do bolt after a while, but not before we got several bunches of spinach. I hope you try the huckleberry muffin recipe – its a good one!
Thanks, Karen. I do plan to use the recipe and will give spinach one more try. Maybe it’s just me. 😛
Those braided garlic cloves are spectacular. Awesome food styling.
But the overall dish just screams YUM!
Sadly our arugula didn’t make it this year.
How flattering – especially coming from such a great photographer, thanks! And what a bummer about your arugula. I started mine indoors a few weeks prior to the last freeze, but it turned out to be fairly cold hardy. (which is good considering where I’m growing it!)
What a beautiful recipe, sounds like another one I could get addicted to and have to have it 3 times a week for months on end. Love the main dish salad too (meat candy, LOL) and truly jealous of your beautiful garden! Have a wonderful weekend Vickie 🙂
Why thank you, Martha! Good to see you around. I really enjoy my gardens. They’re the perfect little space to unwind and soak up some Montana wonderful. And we deserve it since we get such a brief summer. Everybody sort of lives outdoors.
Fabulous! Your pasta dish looks delicious; your garden heavenly. SO beautiful!! I love the raised bed, and that you have so much green space around it. Your photos are truly beautiful, as is the landscape you live in. Kind of makes an urban girl long for the country. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Lisetta, that dish is you all the way. I do love living in the country, but I also love the rhythm of city living. This has been a real change of pace for me. Glad you stopped by!
Garden rocket is a great ingredient for any salad. Remember to collect the seeds from the old plants for next year. No need to spend money for seeds when you get enough from just one plant for yourself and your friends.
Thanks!