Rucola, Arugula known as rucola, salad rocket, and Italian cress.

Arugula is an easy to grow salad green, the reason we grow it in our home garden. Its peppery taste adds extra flavor to everything from salads to crostini. 

Arugula from our garden

Arugula salad with hard boiled eggs and red onion

Arugula salad with tuna

Arugula salad with cherry tomatoes

Did you know that arugula is also great with pasta dishes? 

About some crostini with arugula?

Fresh Pasta with Chickpeas and Arugula - Pasta Fresca con Ceci e Rucola

Keeping with the chickpeas theme, here is an ideal recipe to eat light without sacrificing the palate.  In fact, the home-made pasta with chickpeas and arugula constitutes a complete dish that can substitute meat or eggs, without making cholesterol, with a long satiating effect.

Sagne with Chickpeas and Arugula

Ingredients

1 lb. home-made pasta (alternate 1/2 lb. DeCecco - Sagnette Abruzzesi)
2 cups cooked chickpeas (2 - 15 oz. cans chickpeas, with liquid)
1/2 cup celery, diced
1 carrot. diced
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, flattened with knife blade

1 small bunch of arugula, trimmed

2 leaves of radicchio, shredded

1/2 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper

In a pot add the celery, carrot and chickpeas.  Cover with water and cook for 1 1/2 hrs.

Skip this step, if using canned chickpeas.

Cooked chickpeas (ceci)

Cook the pasta and add to chickpeas.  Add salt and pepper. 

Put the olive oil and the onion and garlic in a heavy pan over medium heat.  Saute' the onion and garlic until onion and garlic become soft.  Add the arugula and radicchio and cook until wilted, 5 minutes.  Add cooked vegetables to the chickpea soup and mix well.  Add freshly grated Parmigiano and serve.

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