Rocket – Salad (Arugula)

Since Roman times in Italy, raw rocket was added to salads. It is often added to a pizza at the end of or just after baking.

In southern Italy, it is used in pasta dishes, in which large amounts of coarsely chopped rocket are added to pasta seasoned with a homemade reduced tomato sauce. It is added, chopped, to sauces and cooked dishes or in a sauce (made by frying it in olive oil and garlic), used as a condiment for cold meats and fish, often combined with boiled potatoes, or used in a soup. Throughout Italy it is used as a salad with tomatoes, and with either burrata, bocconcini, buffalo and mozzarella cheese.

In Turkey, similarly, the rocket is eaten raw as a side dish or salad with fish, but is additionally served with a sauce of extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice.