I have a little proposal. I think we should all take a cue from the English and start calling arugula rocket. I know this sounds a little fancy, but don’t you think that rocket is a way better name for a plant that has a bit of a fiery burn and grows really fast? I certainly do.

I’ve been considering switching my arugula terminology ever since my vacation to England in January. But last night I decided once and for all to make the change, because my arugula had literally rocketed toward the sky—sending up a stalk of flower buds and leaving a bunch of big, spicy, mature leaves below.

Rocket Blossoms

Usually, I like to harvest rocket when its serrated leaves are about 3 inches long for salads, but the mature leaves have their merits, too. They’re a bit rough and tough for eating raw, but when cooked down, they have a full, nutty flavor that compliments pasta, whole grains, and polenta perfectly.

So, instead of sending my mature rocket to the compost pile, I harvested a gigantic bowl of leaves. I chose to make a pasta dish, using the Spinach Fettuccine with Arugula and Tomatoes recipe from Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone as my inspiration. It couldn’t have been a faster, more delicious way to use up a heaping mound of greens.

Fettuccine with Rocket and Tomatoes
Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison
Serves 2

This recipe takes about 20 minutes from start to finish and is perfectly suited for a weeknight meal on the fly. I happened to have a bunch of freshly harvested shallots sitting on my counter, so I threw some into the mix. Rather than use Roma tomatoes, I chopped up a pretty and very flavorful mix of lime green ‘Green Zebra’ and red and orange streaked ‘Tigerella’ tomatoes. I also cut the amount of pasta called for in half because I prefer a high sauce to pasta ratio. The rocket tomato concoction in this recipe is a perfect mix-in for pasta, but it would also make an excellent side dish on its own.

What you’ll need:
8 oz fettuccine
Salt
4 tablespoons of olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
3 big pinches of red pepper flakes
8 cups of mature rocket (arugula) leaves, large stems removed and leaves chopped into ½ inch wide by 2 inch long ribbons
6 small tomatoes (I used 3 ‘Green Zebra’ and 3 ‘Tigerella’), seeded and diced
¼ cup Italian parsley, chopped
Freshly grated Parmesan

Instructions:
1. Bring a stockpot of salted water to a boil. Add in the fettuccine and cook until al dente.

2. In the meantime, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Add in the shallots, garlic, and pepper flakes. Cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic and shallots soften and begin to turn a pale golden color, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the rocket, and using tongs, toss it with the shallot mixture until it just wilts. Remove the pan from the heat, season with salt and gently stir in the tomatoes and parsley.

4. Reserve about ¼ cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta when it is ready, and then add it directly to the pan of rocket along with a tablespoon or two of the pasta water (just enough to help the rocket mix in). Toss well. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and garnish with finely grated Parmesan. Serve in warmed bowls.