Food

(CBS) Well today's tip of the day is going to be with arugula.

At one time arugula was very hard to find, and by the way, its nickname is "Roquette." It was very hard to find and it was very expensive, but now arugula is available just about everywhere you buy produce.

The bold, spicy flavor of arugula is fantastic. As a matter of fact, a lot of restaurants are now serving arugula just like a salad, with just arugula and tomatoes. At one time in restaurants there was just a little bit of arugula in a salad, now it's the whole thing because it's good.

You have to select and store it right; otherwise it is going to be so bitter you're not going to want to eat it. Let's talk about selection.

When selecting arugula you want to make sure it's nice and green. The greener the better and the darker the green, the better flavor it's going to have.

It needs to be free from any yellowing, and check the bottoms right here. This is the area you want to check when you select the bunch. You want to make sure it's clear from any decay and clear, let's say from any yellowing here on the bottom too.

When you bring arugula home what you want to do simply is store it in the refrigerator. It's OK to store it in the plastic bag, but open up that plastic bag because arugula is loaded with nutritional value which means the shelf life will be very short.

Arugula, I like it just like this in a salad, clean and washed with fresh tomatoes, salt and pepper, a light vinaigrette, and maybe some Mozzarella. Go out and enjoy a delicious arugula salad this time of year.

Arugula Pasta Salad with Wild Mushrooms
This is a warm salad in which the arugula barely gets wilted from the heat of the pasta. It includes low-fat goat cheese that may not be available in your area, but since the amount is so small, regular goat cheese won't add that much more fat.

Serves 4

1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
Kosher salt
1 pound orecchiette (ear-shaped) pasta or other short pasta
2 bunches arugula
1½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons dry white wine
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons minced shallots
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 ounces prosciutto
2 ounces low-fat goat cheese, crumbled

1. Put mushrooms in a small bowl with 1 cup hot water for 30 minutes. Drain through a cheesecloth, reserving liquid. Chop coarsely or cut into thin strips.

2. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts of water and 1 teaspoon salt to boil on the stove for pasta. Cook orecchiette until just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain.

3. While pasta cooks, trim roots from arugula, wash in lots of cool water, and drain. Cut crosswise into ½ inch-wide strips. Put arugula in a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl, combine oil, wine, vinegar, shallots, salt, pepper, and ¼ cup of reserved mushroom liquid (save the leftover liquid for soups or stocks).

4. Stack slices of prosciutto and cut crosswise into thin strips. Add cooked pasta to arugula along with prosciutto, cheese, and reserved porcini. Add dressing and toss.

Cooking Tip
Normally prosciutto is sliced very thin at the deli or butcher shop. For this recipe and others like it, ask for thicker slices, about six per four ounces. This makes the prosciutto easier to cut into strips.

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