A salad is just the beginning

Arugula, that dark, peppery leafy green that seemed so terribly chic 15 years ago, has really settled in to become an adored staple. Unlike radicchio, the other trendy green of the 1980s, arugula never went out of style.

Now you find it everywhere -- fat, pungent leaves in cello-bags at the supermarket; tender baby arugula in gourmet shop boxes; and in every manner at farmers’ markets, where you can even find delicately spicy arugula flowers in the spring.

Arugula is so ubiquitous, so delicious, so distinctive that it shouldn’t be relegated to the salad bowl. It’s also terrific sauteed as a side dish, simmered in soups, added to stuffings for meat and poultry -- even pulverized into a pesto. You can use it as a substitute for peppery watercress in many recipes. Depending on the treatment, arugula takes on a different personality -- and every one of them is charming.

Still, a classic arugula salad remains one of life’s great pleasures. The arugula salad with prosciutto, a very simple affair with just a slick of fresh, fruity olive oil, a drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar (this is the time to pull out that 20-year-old balsamico you’ve been guarding) and some shavings of Parmesan, is so compelling, we could eat it several times a week. It lends itself to infinite seasonal variation -- add quartered figs or sliced blood oranges; what’s important is the way the sweet, rich balsamic plays off the peppery greens. And be sure to use the best ingredients: top-quality olive oil, aged Parmigiano-Reggiano, thinly sliced prosciutto di Parma.

Arugula adds a bright accent to highly flavored dishes, cutting richness almost as a lemon does. The fried breaded veal in the Wiener schnitzel recipe was softened with the accompaniment of sauteed arugula.

Pound the veal very thin so you’ll end up with a tender yet crispy piece of meat. After sauteing garlic and shallots, stir in the arugula leaves. You’ll want to cook them just until they wilt so they retain a bright green color.

Arugula can also be used as you would an herb, alone or in combination with other herbs.

A favorite of recipe tester Mary Ellen Rae in the Times Test Kitchen is arugula pesto. Arugula is blended with toasted almonds and kalamata olives to make a bright green pesto sauce that is delicious with pasta. It’s a wonderful showcase for raw arugula, whose flavor comes through loud and clear. Use a good-quality olive oil and sprinkle over a few chopped tomatoes for color. This pesto would also be great served with steamed or baked potatoes.

When shopping for arugula, be aware that the leaves vary in size, with larger, older leaves tending to be a little tougher and more pungent in flavor than the younger smaller leaves. Fresh leaves are bright green and free of spots and bruises.

It’s definitely a time-saver to pick up the bags of pre-washed arugula leaves. If you do buy bulk arugula, the leaves need to be washed much as spinach leaves do: Rinse them in a big bowl or sink full of water, so any sand or grit will go to the bottom, then scoop out the leaves onto a paper towel to drain or put them in a salad spinner to remove excess water.

Arugula should be stored in plastic bags in the refrigerator for no more than two days.

*

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

Wiener schnitzel with sauteed arugula

Total time: 35 minutes

Servings: 4

4 veal cutlets (about 1 1/4 pounds) cut 1/4-inch thick

Salt and pepper

1/3 cup flour

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon minced shallots

3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

3/4 pound arugula

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup butter, clarified

1 tomato, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Lemon wedges

1. Pound each veal cutlet between two sheets of plastic wrap or waxed paper, using a meat tenderizer or mallet, until very thin (about one-eighth- inch thick). Season with salt and pepper. Dredge the meat in the flour to coat, then dip it in the egg and then in the bread crumbs to coat. Cover and set aside while preparing the arugula.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or large deep skillet over medium heat until hot. Add the shallots and garlic and saute, stirring, until fragrant and tender, about 1 minute.

3. Add half the arugula with any water clinging to the leaves after rinsing. Turn with tongs until it begins to wilt, then add the remaining arugula. Continue to cook, stirring, until the leaves are wilted but are still bright green, about 1 to 2 minutes. Squeeze the lemon juice over the arugula, then season with salt and black pepper (preferably cracked) to taste. Keep the arugula warm while preparing the veal.

4. Fry the breaded cutlets in a large skillet in hot oil and clarified butter to brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Turn and continue to cook until the second side is browned, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the cutlets from the skillet to paper towels to drain.

5. Serve the veal on a bed of sauteed arugula sprinkled with the chopped tomato and parsley and garnished with lemon wedges.

Each serving: 646 calories; 42 grams protein; 23 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 43 grams fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 253 mg. cholesterol; 238 mg. sodium.

*

Arugula pesto pasta

Total time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4

Note: From Mary Ellen Rae, Times Test Kitchen

1 pound top-quality linguine pasta

3 cups packed arugula leaves, washed and long stems cut off

1 teaspoon finely chopped lemon peel

2 cloves garlic

1/4cup pitted kalamata olives

1/2 cup chopped blanched toasted almonds, divided

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 plum tomato, seeded and diced

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions to al dente. Reserve one-half cup of the cooking liquid and drain the pasta.

2. Place the arugula, lemon peel, garlic, olives, one-fourth cup of the almonds, one-fourth cup of the grated Parmesan cheese and the salt in a food processor. Pulse until it forms a thick paste. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil and process until smooth.

3. Place the pasta in a bowl and stir in the pesto. Drizzle in the reserved cooking liquid until the sauce is the thickness desired. Garnish each plate with the remaining almonds and Parmesan. Sprinkle with the diced tomatoes and serve warm or chilled.

Each serving: 745 calories; 23 grams protein; 91 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams fiber; 32 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 8 mg. cholesterol; 566 mg. sodium.

*

Arugula salad with prosciutto di Parma

Total time: 10 minutes

Serves: 4

Note: Use a peeler to shave the Parmesan into thin slices.

1/4 pound baby arugula (about 5 cups packed), washed and patted dry

2 ounces prosciutto di Parma (about 4 slices)

2 ounces Parmesan (about 1 cup), in inch-wide slices

3 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar

4 tablespoons top-quality olive oil

Pinch of salt

1. Place the arugula in a large bowl. Cut the prosciutto into half-inch by 2-inch pieces and add to the bowl.

2. Add the Parmesan, then drizzle the balsamic vinegar and olive oil on top. Sprinkle with the salt. Toss. Divide the salad onto 4 salad plates and serve.

Each serving: 220 calories; 10 grams protein; 3 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 19 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 22 mg. cholesterol; 545 mg. sodium.