10 delicious ways to cook with rocket

Jacqueline Meldrum

Rocket or arugula as it’s called in the US is often just thought of as a salad leaf, but you can do much more with it. You can top pizza with it, make pesto or hummus and add it to pasta, soups and stews.

My husband hates rocket because of the peppery taste, but that’s why I love it. It adds so much flavour to a dish.

Rocket is also a healthy and low calorie addition to a meal. It’s high in Vitamin A, C & K as well as a good source of folic acid and minerals and there’s only 25 calories in 100g of this leafy superfood.

So why not try rocket in something other than a green salad?

Here are 10 Wonderful Ways with Rocket:

Rocket Hummus

A creamy green hummus that’s whizzed up in minutes. Great on wraps with salad, stirred through pasta with roast vegetables or on spread on bruschetta.

Get recipe here: Tinned Tomatoes

Beetroot, Rocket and Feta Fritters

Beetroot, rocket and feta fritters

These fritters are made with pickled beetroot for that extra flavour. Serve them with some garlic mayonnaise and salad.

Get the recipe here: Tinned Tomatoes

Rocket, Mozzarella and Farfalle Pasta Salad

Rocket, Mozzarella and Farfalle Pasta salad

Sometimes rocket is perfect in a salad. Personally I love pasta salad. It’s really filling and a bit more exciting than a green salad. Rocket works really well with the mozzarella in this salad.

Get the recipe here: Tinned Tomatoes

Homemade Mediterranean Pizza with Goats Cheese and Rocket

Homemade mediterranean pizza with goats cheese and rocket

I love rocket on a pizza, but it has to be added in a billowing mound on top of the pizza before it’s served and not before it goes in the oven. In this recipe I take you through making homemade pizzas from scratch, from the dough to the sauce to the toppings. Delicious!

Get the recipe here: Tinned Tomatoes

Rocket Frittata

Rocket also goes well with eggs and tastes glorious in this frittata alongside potatoes, onion and turmeric. Great for lunch with some green salad.

Get the recipe here: Food to Glow

Creamy Spinach Tomato and Rocket Strozzapeti

Creamy spinach tomato and rocket strozzapeti

This is a simple pasta sauce. Greens and sun dried tomatoes whizzed up with soft cheese to make a creamy sauce to coat Strozzapeti pasta. Quick and tasty.

Get the recipe here: A Mummy Too

Roasted Beetroot, Rocket and Feta Salad with Mustard Lemon Dressing

Roasted beetroot, rocket and feta sald

On to a simple salad that is full of flavour. Fresh beetroot is the star of the show and it’s roasted in the oven to really develop the flavour, then sliced and topped with rocket and feta. Of course it needs a good dressing to finish the dish off and Jeanne uses one of my favourite dressings.

Get the recipe here: Cook Sister

Hummus and Pomegranate Flatbread

Hummus and pomegranate flatbread

A classic way of using rocket, piled onto a flatbread or flour tortilla with hummus and salad. I’d be delighted to tuck into this one at lunchtimes. The pomegranate is a nice touch too.

Get the recipe here: Hungry Healthy Happy

Three Potato Salad with Rocket

Three potato salad with rocket

Wow look at that! What a gorgeously colourful dish. Don’t you just want to tuck in? The potatoes are salad potatoes, blue (or purple) potatoes and sweet potatoes, paired with olives, red pepper and a herby dressing. Definitely a side dish to impress.

Get the recipe here: Fat Free Vegan

Whole Wheat Spaghetti with No-Cook Sauce

Whole wheat spaghetti with no-cook sauce

This is a quick one for the nights when you don’t want to slave away in the kitchen, but still want something satisfying to eat. A no-cook sauce of tomatoes, rocket, olives and capers.

Get the recipe here: Kalyn's Kitchen

Jacqueline Meldrum is a freelance food writer and recipe developer. Jacqueline blogs at Tinned Tomatoes.

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