Recipe of the Month June 2007: Cold Salad of Penne with Rucola Selvatica (Wild Arugula ) and Tomato |
Rucola selvatica grows wild in Central Italy. It is more pungent than the domestic variety. The seeds for it can be obtained from http://growitalian.com and other seed suppliers. The plant will become a wild perennial on its own. The rucola in the photo is in its second year, and is just as robust as it was the first year we planted it. People in Italy also use it to make a pesto, substituting it for basil. Another simple and delicious way to use it is in the form of bruschetta as an antipasto: finely chopped with garlic and a little salt, sprinkled on toast, and then drizzled with premium extra-virgin olive oil. |
Serves 4 as a first course, 2 as a main course 1 pound of penne pasta |
Wash and dry the rucola. Chop it finely after removing the stems. Set aside. Plunge the tomatoes into a pan of boiling water for about 10 seconds and drain them. Remove the skins and seeds. Mash the pulp coarsely and put it into the bowl in which you will serve the pasta. Remove the pits from the olives. (This is easily done by pressing on them with a flat-bottomed glass or jar. The olives will split open, making it easy to remove the pits.) Chop them together with the garlic, and add to the bowl. Salt to taste. (If you are using hot pepper, add it now.) Pour in 4 tablespoons or so of premium extra-virgin olive oil, and mix well. Cook the penne in salted boiling water. Drain them, run them under cold water to stop the cooking process, and drain them again. Put the pasta and the chopped rucola in the bowl with the tomatoes, mix well, and serve. |
