Arugula and Gorganzola Dip
I discovered this as a sauce over gnocchi at a little restaurant in Venice. I raved about the sauce to the owner and said I just couldnt leave without knowing more about it. How to make it, what is in it, was there cream in it? He kept saying it's just arugula, and gorganzola in his rich baritone. I didn't speak much Italian, and he didn't speak much English, but I went home and sure enough, it's just arugula, and gorganzola!
I discovered this as a sauce over gnocchi at a little restaurant in Venice. I raved about the sauce to the owner and said I just couldnt leave without knowing more about it. How to make it, what is in it, was there cream in it? He kept saying it's just arugula, and gorganzola in his rich baritone. I didn't speak much Italian, and he didn't speak much English, but I went home and sure enough, it's just arugula, and gorganzola!
- Carbohydrate 0 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 1.6875 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 0 g
- Saturated Fat 0.23301 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (23g)
- Sodium 0.03375 mg
- Sugar 0 g
- Trans Fat 0.0456975000000001 g
- Calories 15 calories
Step-by-step
- Pile as much arugula as will fit in work bowl of standard size food processor (mine is 11 cup Cuisinart). This is about half a bag if you buy organic wild arugula from Trader Joe's.
- Crumble gorganzola on top, drizzle olive oil
- Process until smooth, mixture should resemble a green and white speckled paste. Can put into a casserole dish and bake until melted, or mix with hot gnocchi.
- Yum!
The Emulsification Trap
Standard pestor-making methods rely on continuous oil streams, but this minimalist combination of greens and blue cheese demands a different approach to achieve stability. When blending raw arugula with unaged or semi-soft blue cheese, dumping all the olive oil in at once prevents the blades from gripping the fibrous greens and creates an oily layer that separates immediately upon standing. Pulsing the greens and cheese first to break down cell walls before drizzling the two tablespoons of oil through the feed tube while the motor runs continuously ensures the fat binds properly to the moisture in the leaves. If the mixture remains crumbly after forty-seconds of processing, scrape down the sides of an eleven-cup food processor bowl with a rubber spatula to incorporate trapped pockets of dry cheese.Texture and Heat Application
Raw arugula contains high water content that can release rapidly when thermal energy is applied, turning a thick spread into a watery puddle. Operating the processor until the mixture achieves a uniform, fine-speckled paste guarantees proper structural integrity whether served cold as a crudité dip or transferred to a ceramic casserole dish for baking. When baking the dip, watch for the edges to bubble gently and the internal temperature to reach a uniform heat, which typically takes between twelve and fifteen minutes in a preheated oven set to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Removing the dish too early leaves the cheese stubbornly firm, while overheating causes the milk solids to separate into a pool of translucent oil.Storage and Holding
Prepared spreads featuring raw cruciferous greens and soft dairy products require careful temperature management to maintain structural quality. Storing the mixture in an airtight glass container pressed with a layer of plastic wrap directly onto the surface prevents oxidation that turns bright green leaves into a dull olive shade. Consume the dip within forty-eight hours of processing, as the peppery pungency of raw arugula intensifies significantly as it sits in the refrigerator.
