13 Best Cooked Arugula Recipes When You Want More Than Salad! 🥗 (2024)

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Curiosity made you click, right? Who cooks salad greens? We wondered too, so we gathered these 13 Cooked Arugula Recipes to give you a head start on knowledge. Lettuce begin.

Everyone knows lettuce belongs in a salad bowl, right?

Hold your horses right there, maybe not.

Perhaps some varieties could be cooked as well.

Take arugula, for example, as we are today!

Cooked arugula recipesabound so there must be something to this method of warming/cooking arugula which takes it beyond the salad bowl indeed.

It goes by many names in different places.

You may hear it referred to as rocket, rucola, rucola, roquette, or Italian cress.

Like most greens, there is a baby version which is harvested smaller and is therefore more tender and delicate.

The adult version has a stronger taste and a rougher texture.

It is easily identifiable because of its long and spiky leaves.

But what taste does it add when using arugula recipes that aren’t salads?

That is a great question.

Peppery isarugula’s signature taste!

When buying it for recipes that requirecooking with arugula, look for leaves that are dry with consistent green color.

When getting ready tocook arugulathink about it the way you would spinach which also is eaten raw or cooked.

Sauteed arugula with veggies make a fantastic side or it can be then added into soups, sandwiches, pasta dishes, pesto, or stir frys!

Cooked arugula can be found in casseroles and lasagnas as well.

In some places it issprinkled on top of pizza fresh out of the ovenor chopped up and added into a recipelike any other herb.

Whether you are wanting to make a stew, entree, side dish, snack or appetizer, cooked arugula recipes might just be your next obsession!

Here are 13 to checkout—the breakfast recipe is my personal favorite!

Table of Contents

1. Arugula Pasta With Tomato And Pine Nuts

Starting off ourcooked arugula recipesis this delightful pasta with tomato and pine nuts recipe.

Here the arugula is barely cooked but adds a peppery brightness to the dish.

The pasta is cooking while the sauce is being created with a beautiful combination of olive oil, pepperoncini, shallot, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes and tomatoes.

Cool technique here is placing the arugula into a colander and straining the pasta over it so the water runs over the arugula, cooking it just slightly.

2. Chicken With Arugula And Mustard Pan Sauce

We are all done with boring baked chicken, so today let’s try some arugula recipes that aren’t salads.

Not even in the slightest!

Thin cut chicken breasts start this recipe being sauteed in olive oil on each side and set aside.

Next is the best part, making the pan sauce which includes a shallot, white wine, chicken broth, Dijon mustard, cream, butter and chopped arugula which adds that spicy peppery flavor.

Then the chicken is added in.

I do love only having one pan to clean!

3. Pasta With Tuna And Arugula

Next up is another cooking with arugula pasta dish, but with a different pasta and a different protein!

I love this dish because it is flavorful without the fuss.

Thirty minutes till done!

Cook up the pasta you prefer between fettuccine, spaghetti or linguine.

In a skillet, saute garlic and hot pepper flakes in oil and add in canned tuna.

Save one cup of the water when draining the pasta then combine the pasta with the tuna mixture.

Last comes the arugula which is tossed in.

Some of the reserved water can be added to make tossing easier if needed.

This wilts and warms the arugula just perfectly!

4. Arugula And Sausage Pasta Skillet

This amazingly quick skillet does not fully cook arugula but warms it enough to release its flavor and add texture to the dish.

Sometimes you might pick this recipe because you already have pasta that is cooked and needs to be used up, otherwise, fresh pasta will need to be cooked.

First, the spicy Italian sausage is cooked in olive oil.

Next, cherry tomatoes are cut in half and added in.

Then, the cooked pasta and arugula are tossed with the sausage and tomatoes until all is warm and the arugula is just beginning to wilt.

The color in this dish is just delightful too!

5. Creamy Vegan Arugula Soup

This luscious arugula soup has a base of potatoes, onion, garlic, celery that are boiled in vegetable broth until potatoes are done.

Then the arugula is added in to be cooked.

The next step is to blend it all together until smooth.

Lastly, coconut milk for added richness along with salt and pepper to taste.

The final product is abeautiful earthy green soupthat just begs to be enjoyed!

6. Lemon Arugula Pasta With Burrata

Lemon is so refreshing and is the dominant flavor in this sauteed arugula and rigatoni pasta dish with burrata!

7. Arugula Pesto Pasta with Garlic Shrimp

Get a taste of Italy with this Arugula Pesto Pasta, inspired by a memorable meal at a quaint beach club in Positano. It’s super simple to make yet packed with flavor, combining fresh, peppery arugula pesto with perfectly cooked pasta. Top it off with some extra arugula and a sprinkle of cheese for a dish that’s easy, fresh, and absolutely delicious.

8. Spinach Arugula Breakfast Hash

Here I have some breakfast arugula recipes that aren’t salads by any stretch, and this hash is perhaps my favorite!

You will soon see why with the crispy potatoes, greens and fried eggs!

But honestly, this could be a fantastic dinner as well!

Just saying!

The potatoes are started first since they take the longest and I diced them small to cook faster with the onions.

Once they are soft, stir in the spinach, arugula and garlic.

Create “wells” where the four eggs can be added to cook as long as you like.

Sausage added when potatoes are halfway cooked is another excellent variation!

9. Pesto Panini With Arugula, Avocado & Sun Dried Tomato

Most paninis are enjoyable and here we are using arugula recipes that aren’t salads to make this one really stand out!

The pesto is created with blended avocado, sun dried tomatoes, basil, pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper.

The arugula is mixed with olive oil and vinegar.

The sandwiches are made by spreading the pesto on two slices of bread, adding arugula and cheese to one slice and topping with the other!

Then it’s ready to be put in the panini press or grill pan to heat.

Super yummy!

10. Mushroom Arugula Warm Salad

This cooked arugula pasta dish is the one to go to when you are in the mood for what could be classified as a warm salad!

What I appreciate is that it is simple and oh so delicious!

You know it is going to be great when it starts with browning walnuts in a skillet.

Then saute seasoned shiitake mushrooms and add in dried cranberries, balsamic vinegar and mix thoroughly.

Last baby arugula is added and incorporated until it starts to wilt.

Pour walnuts back in and serve with a favorite cheese sprinkled on top!

A protein could easily be included as well.

11. Mushroom Pesto Flatbread Pizza

Pizza may never have looked or tasted so good!

It does have you bake arugula more so than actually cook arugula, but you get the gist!

It all starts with a delicious flatbread whether you make one or buy one.

Next up is the pesto, again you can make it or buy it.

The assembly here is almost a work of art with the pesto spread evenly over the flatbread and then topped with cooked baby bella mushrooms, fresh arugula and oregano.

Last, spoon burrata cheese in several areas across the flatbread.

Do not worry about coverage as you can add more after it’s baked if needed.

E magnifico!

12. Onion And Arugula Frittata

13. Sautéed Arugula With Red Bell Peppers

Sides that are cooked arugula recipes, typically involve veggies of some kind.

In this recipe, red bell peppers and green arugula will certainly make a bright splash on a dinner plate next to an entree!

The bell peppers are cut in thin strips and sauteed until soft and beginning to brown.

At that point garlic is added.

Last, arugula, salt and pinch of red pepper flakes are added along with balsamic vinegar.

Stir gently till all is incorporated and this side is ready to serve!

The bottom line

So you can see, cookedarugula recipescover all sorts of options from various mealtimes to various uses.

With a little bit of looking, lovely arugula recipes that aren’tsaladscan be found and I hope this list was of help to you in that quest!

Giving up on cooked arugula? No problem.Back to arugula salads!