Arugula

I have been eating a ton of arugula this week and I wanted to share a couple of recipes that are wonderful.

Arugula Salad with Lemon Parmesan Dressing

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
4 cups (packed) baby arugula
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Blend first 3 ingredients in processor. Season dressing with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl. Cover; chill up to 3 days.

Combine arugula and Parmesan in large bowl. Toss with enough dressing to coat.

*See link above for the original recipe from Epicurious. Instead of blending the cheese with the dressing, like they suggest, I decided to toss it with the arugula. I like the texture better. I also omitted their suggestion of cherry tomatoes, because I did not have any and the salad was perfect without them. Feel free to add them or anything else to this basic salad. Just be sure to include the lemon zest, it is essential. I cannot get enough of this! It is crazy good.

Pasta with Arugula and Goat Cheese

course salt and ground pepper
1 bag of rice pasta, I used fussili
1 15 oz. can white beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup herbed goat cheese, crumbled (3 oz.)
3 tablespoons Olive Oil (good quality)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 bunch arugula (8 oz.) torn or chopped
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

Cook the pasta until just ready (al dente). Drain and rinse with cold water (essential for rice pasta). In a large bowl, toss pasta with beans and goat cheese.

Mix oil, vinegar, and mustard in a small bowl. Drizzle over pasta. Toss in arugula and red onion. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

* I got this recipe from this month's Everyday Food. Their recipe was for a pasta salad. My opinion is that rice pasta does not work so well in a salad because it becomes tough as it cools. I also used herbed goat cheese, instead of plain as I love the extra taste. It is a delicious pasta dish and makes for even better left overs. It would also benefit with the addition of roasted pine nuts, if you are able to eat that sort of thing :)