"Rags" of Beef with Arugula (Straccetti con Rughetta), you don't get any simpler than this that delivers incredible flavor and texture. Succulent strands of beef meet fresh and steamed arugula in a dance your tastebuds won't forget!
Song of the day: "On an Evening in Roma" by Dean Martin
"Rags" of Beef with Arugula (Straccetti con Rughetta). Italian stir fry at its best!
If it wasn't for Nicoletta, I would have never known this dish. I was so intrigued to find out that Roman cuisine also stir fried in its own traditional way. You may already know this, however I will say it again. I absolutely love stir fry. It is a great way to achieve fresh, juicy, tasteful end results with very little time involved.
This dish brings back many memories of the incredible butcher shops called "Macelleria" in Italy. You can ask the butcher anything and when it comes to these "rags" of beef, straccetti (stra-che-tee), it is not uncommon to find the thin strands of filleted beef ready for you at the pleasure of these wonderful artisans! The dish is traditionally known in Rome and actually Rughetta (ru'-ɡe-ta) is the Roman word for Rucola (ˈru-ko-la), Arugula/Rocket. This jewel of a dish is like sacred texts of an old testament to flavor and texture, called true Italian regional cuisine!
Less is better!
Really there are few ingredients needed for this dish. This is what you need:
- Very thin sliced beef (inside round, or sirloin)
- Olive oil (always cold pressed extra virgin D.O.P. olive oil)
- Arugula (we use organic)
- Garlic (organic)
- Salt and pepper
- Lemon juice (organic)
- Shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano, optional but very tasty
Equipment for "Rags" of Beef with Arugula (Straccetti con Rughetta)
Again, very little needed from the kitchen cupboards for this one. Take a look:
- Medium sauté pan
- A bowl for the arugula
- Meat cleaver
- Wood board
- Tongs
- Serving platter
A less than five minute dish:
What if I told you that in less than five minutes you will have a tasty dish to serve to your family? Sounds pretty intriguing right? Especially for the busy lifestyle that a family may present in this day and age. Well, today I am going to show you that it is really true. Come let's get into the kitchen and whip up some of these "Rags" of Beef with Arugula (Straccetti con Rughetta)!
It starts with the beef!
One of the things that you will always see in this type of Italian cooking is that we drizzle the oil into the pan and then press and throw the garlic whole. After the dish is just about completed, out comes the garlic. The reasoning is that we need just a bit of that garlic infused in the flavors. Italian cooking is all about great ingredients and letting all those ingredients shine without one overpowering the other. Here is how we do it:
- Firstly, with a meat cleaver, gently pound out your rags of beef. Drizzle olive oil into the sauté pan. Usually just enough to coat the pan. Peel, press, and toss in the garlic, and give it a swirl in the oil. We want those garlic hints to play with the oil and eventually dance with the other ingredients.
- Secondly, turn the heat to a medium to high setting. Once the garlic starts to sizzle, in go those lovely rags of beef, season with salt and pepper. With tongs, move beef around the pan and turn over. The whole process takes about a couple of minutes.
- Thirdly, once the beef is browned, turn off the heat, grab a nice handful of arugula and toss in, then, season with some more salt and pepper. Give it another good stir. Take garlic out at this point.
- Lastly, squeeze in some fresh lemon juice, and finish with a nice drizzle of olive oil.
Plating!
Place some more fresh arugula into a nice serving dish, creating a bowl, and spoon the "Rags" of Beef with Arugula (Straccetti con Rughetta) in. Don't let all that juice from the pan slip away. Pour it over the top of the dish. That's it, my friends! Pretty easy, right?
Shaved Parmigiano?
You have the option of finishing with some shaved Parmigiano Reggiano (or Grana Padano), if you want. It does add another hit of beautiful flavor!
Time to taste this amazing "Rags" of Beef with Arugula (Straccetti con Rughetta)
I love the aromas. That beef so earthy sweet, the arugula with its peppery scent, the lemon, and garlic are a symphony to my senses. I have to get a forkful to taste. Wow, the beef is so tender and succulent, it just melts in my mouth. The lemon is wonderfully subtle and is a great partner to the olive oil and arugula. I love that there is a dichotomy of texture (fresh and sautéed), in the arugula, which offers nothing but pleasure to the palate. I have to say beef and arugula are a match made in heaven. For those who try the shaved Parmigiano, this is a real treat. Its saltiness and sharpness are a very welcomed delight to the totality of this dish.
This "Rags" of Beef with Arugula (Straccetti con Rughetta) was the "Secondo", the meat dish of a "Dalla Tavola" restaurant takeover menu we did at the end of August. We had so much fun and had the pleasure of presenting a 5 course traditional Roman Italian meal!
I hope you enjoy this dish as much as we do.
Buon Appetito!
Print
"Rags" of Beef with Arugula (Straccetti con Rughetta)
"Rags" of Beef with Arugula (Straccetti con Rughetta), you don't get any simpler than this without sacrificing incredible flavor and texture. Succulent strands of beef meet fresh and steamed arugula in a dance your taste buds won't forget!
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: serves 2 people 1x
Ingredients
- 250 g very thinly sliced inside round or sirloin beef
- 2 Tbsp evo oil
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and pressed
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 cups arugula
- salt and pepper to taste
Finishing:
- 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- drizzle of evo oil
- shavings of Parmigiano, optional
Instructions
- Firstly take your beef fillets and pound them gently with a meat cleaver. Place fillets on a parchment lined board.
- Get a medium sauté pan, drizzle in oil, and throw in pressed garlic. Swirl around the pan to infuse the pan and oil with the garlic.
- Turn heat on to a medium to high setting and when garlic starts to sizzle, place in rags of beef, and season with salt and pepper. Stir with a pair of tongs and flip over when you see the surface start to brown. This cooking process takes about 2 minutes. Turn off heat.
- Take about 2 cups of the arugula and throw into the pan. Give it a good toss, mixing it well with the rags of beef. Season slightly with salt and pepper to taste. Take garlic out at this point.
Finishing:
- Squeeze some fresh lemon juice over the mixture in the pan. Drizzle some olive oil over top.
- Place the remaining arugula into a serving dish creating a bowl. Spoon beef arugula mixture into the center of the plate. Pour the pan juices over top.
- At this point you can shave some Parmigiano Reggiano over the top. This is optional, but it does add some wonderful flavor to the mix.
- Ready to serve!
Enjoy!
Notes
Ask your butcher to slice it for you. The beef needs to be very thin. They usually freeze it a bit, then slice it with their meat slicer.
You can probably find the thin slices of beef at one of your Asian super markets, as they use it very thin in their stir fry also.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 2-3 minutes
- Category: Main, Meat
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: Beef, arugula, lemon, garlic, Parmigiano, Italian cuisine, Roman dish, inside round, straccetti, classic
I love baking and kneading dough because it takes me to a happy place in my soul.
Jamie says
First of all this dish looks amazingly delicious and yummy! Second is the finished product itself, it looks enticing and tempting! Many will definitely love it!
★★★★★
Amy Liu Dong says
I am a fan of making easy and delicious dishes like this.
I will prepare this dish with my husband, and I am sure he will love this!
★★★★★
Amanda Dixon says
This beef was incredible! I love how it was so simple and didn't require a ton of ingredients, but it was loaded with flavor. The beef came out super tender too.
★★★★★
Katie Crenshaw says
This was my first time making and eating this. It was so delicious! I loved how it turned out. I definitely will be making again!
★★★★★
Hi Katie, fantastic that you dove right in and tried our rags of beef. So easy and so delicious. A great weeknight go to for sure, and very economical too!
Thanks a million!
Cheers!
sophie says
This Italian stir fry was truly a mouthwatering delight! The flavors were so perfectly balanced and the texture of all the ingredients blended together just right. I'm already dreaming about having it again!
★★★★★
Lol, Sophia, we crave it all the time too! It s such an easy recipe that delivers in all ways! So grateful you tried it and loved it so much. A great compliment for us!
Thank you!
Cathleen says
This might be one of my favourite recipes I've made in a while. Thanks for sharing, it was a winner in my house 🙂
★★★★★
We love hearing these comments. We put a lot of heart and soul into what we do and it makes us smile so heartfully to see that the recipe was tried and enjoyed so much. So, thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
Happy cooking!
Mikayla says
So delicious, especially with the fresh cheese on top with a hunk of my fresh homemade bread right out of the oven. We loved it!
★★★★★
Hi Mikayla, I am drooling over the smell of your fresh bread coming out of the oven. Perfect for this dish as there are a lot of juices on the bottom of the plate, that would be a shame to go to waste! lol. Thank you for trying this beautiful recipe!
Cheers!
Dennis says
I had this dish in Italy and never knew how easy it was to make. It was delicious and I will be making it again soon!
★★★★★
Hi Dennis, yes always inspired when we are in Italy. They have such a good motto for cooking. Simple, great ingredients, and lots of love. Can't go wrong with that! So Happy you had the chance to make a dish that you had in Italy, and that you enjoyed it so much.
Very grateful!
Kushigalu says
What a delicious stir fry. I love the combination of flavors here. Thanks for sharing.
★★★★★
You are very welcome. It is truly a pleasure to share our cultural cuisine with all of you. It is a simple yet bursting with flavor dish!
Thank you!
Hayley Dhanecha says
The flavours are incredible! I also recommended this recipe to a friend and she loved it too!
Thank you Hayley for sharing this wonderful recipe. We always smile ear to ear when we hear the success of our recipes. This one is a true gem!
Have a wonderful day!
Cheers!
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
That is a wonderful way to make a simple stir fry more exciting and delicious. So simple and such an awesome hearty meal.
★★★★★
Thank you Sandhya, we are very happy you think this way about this dish. It is an Italian take on stir fry that is so delicious and juicy. A true wonderful go to dish that is economical and well liked!
Happy cooking!
Moop Brown says
I love the simplicity of this dish and how flavorful it is. Thanks for sharing.
★★★★★
Hi Moop, your are so welcome. Italian cooking is all about ease and grace, plus really good quality ingredients. This dish is always a favorite in our house!.
Cheers!