Simple Italian Arugula Salad with Lemon
The easiest salad recipe you’ll ever make. Loaded with flavor from a big squeeze of lemon, Italian Arugula Salad is simple side salad that comes together in less than 5 minutes. Perfect for pasta, pizza, chicken, and more.
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 3 cups arugula freshly washed; prepackaged perfectly fine
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil equal to 4 big back and forth drizzles (count to 8)
- 1 lemon zested and quartered
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 Tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese plus some shards for topping
- 1 Tablespoon pine nuts optional
Instructions
- Wash and dry arugula either by rinsing and spinning in a salad spinner. Or wash leaves in a sink of cold water agitating slightly to remove sand or dirt. Remove the greens from the sink to a double layer of paper towel. Cover with more paper towels, patting until the excess water is removed.
- Remove greens to a wide shallow salad bowl.
- If using an olive oil bottle with an attached pourer/stopper, drizzle the olive oil in a back and forth motion across the bowl counting to 8 with each pass.
- Conversely, use a tablespoon to drizzle the oil across the salad in a light stream counting the same way as above.
- Squeeze the lemon juice quarters across the salad. Sprinkle with the zest.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Top with parmesan cheese shards and grated parmesan [see notes].
Notes
- Adjust proportions for larger quantities
- Serve with grilled chicken, fish or over pizza.
- To make shards of parmesan, use a vegetable peeler and run it across the long edge of the wedge.
