I have to say that arugula had me fooled. It comes lookin’ like a fancy lettuce that you might find on a plate of gourmet salad that is served at a wedding reception before the highly over-rated chicken cordon bleu and asparagus sprouts wrapped in bacon. Quite frankly, I wasn’t impressed (even though I had never tasted it). However, one trip to a pizzeria in Sorrento, Italy convinced me that arugula is quite delicious and something I now revere with much respect (as far as leafy greens are concerned).
When my family traveled to Italy, our first stop was Sorrento on the Amalfi Coast. Being our first time in Italy and completely surrounded by countless restaurant, we turned to a travel book for some guidance and it recommended we eat at Pizzeria Da Franco in the heart of Sorrento. Pizzeria Da Franco is known for its pizza, obviously, but also for its casual dining experience. They have picnic like tables and the pizza is served on thin-crust pizza sheets covered with wax paper. It was the perfect place after a long day of travel.
We were all about to have our very first pizza in Italy, a monumental moment I must say, so ordering just the right kind was important. The menu was completely in Italian. Thankfully, having several pizza and Italian restaurants here in the States and being of Italian decent, we were able to put our heads together and figure out most of it with only a couple of puzzling toppings: parma ham and rucola. After asking the waiter and enjoying the thick Italian accent he spoke with, we learned that parma ham is actually another name for prosciutto and rucola was, in fact, arugula.
I do remember having some reservations when it was suggested that we order the pizza with rucola on it. My mind immediately thought of spinach, though the two are really not alike. But, as the saying kind of goes, when in Rome (and this case Sorrento) do as the Romans (Sorrento-ans) do… the rucola pizza it was.
I was joyously surprised and very much impressed with our pizza. The rucola actually added such a nice flavor.
And this is where my journey with arugula begins…
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