Tagliata with Arugula-Herb Sauce

I thought I would start us off with something I was pretty positive I couldn't screw up. If you think that you are not a 'cook' and you think that you can't make 'fancy' dinners, get over it right now because you can, if you have the want to to do it. The kitchen is not a scary place.


I do not have an outside grill, but I do have a Foreman grill. I really love it for steaks and burgers. Not so much for pork or chicken. In attempting to cut the fat, it really dries out meat, but if you have a good marinade for your steak I still think it will be delicious on the Foreman. If you are thinking about purchasing a Foreman grill, don't do what I did and think you are being economical by saving the $20 and not getting one with removal plates for washing after you grill. Trust me, it's worth the $20 to be able to pop them off and wash them. I scrub mine very carefully while hovering it over the sink while my husband holds onto the cord like it's a dog's leash so it does not fall into the water. It is a real pain.


So, I decided to make Tagliata with Arugula-Herb Sauce. I got this recipe from the July issue of Southern Living magazine and did alter it slightly. Tagliata is a fancy Italian word for grilled beef sliced and served with olive oil and spices. Food in a different language sounds so fancy and sometimes scary, but it truly isn't. The recipe called for heating a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and cooking the steak in it. I'm sure that would be delicious also but I am a rebel so I got out George (Foreman).

The Players

This is the cut of meat I bought. It fed two people and we both had some left over for lunch. If you are a big eater with a family of four, I would get two of these. 

Rub a halved garlic slice all over both sides of the meat then sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, and chopped fresh rosemary, also on both sides. 

I like my meat well done so I cooked it on high for 10 minutes for no pink. If you like yours medium rare, I would say check it after 7 minutes. If you are fortunate enough to have a real grill, the times will vary.

For the arugula-herb sauce, in a food processor, pulse arugula, Italian parsley, sage, a shallot, rosemary and a garlic clove until finely chopped. I added freshly grated parmigiana cheese (Never ever buy the kind that comes in the green can. I was a lover of it until I started using the fresh stuff in the package. It makes all the difference in the world.) I also added mint because it was staring at me from the fridge looking all sad like I never let it come out to play with the other herbs, and with a shallot and garlic in a meal, we could all use a little mint. Pour in extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper and process until the ingredients have a soupy consistency. This was very much like a pesto. Toasted pine nuts would have been good in it to give it a nutty flavor. Go light on the pepper because arugula is naturally peppery.

My expert EVOO pouring skills

The finished sauce

I made this simple salad to go with the steak. All that's in it is romaine lettuce, an apple cut up into squares (I like one apple per heart of romaine), craisins, and pistachios. I have also used walnuts and pecans in this salad and they are equally delicious. It is also good with feta cheese crumbles and bacon.

I have a bad habit of not measuring things out when I cook and go by the eyeballing method, but for those of you who are consistent with their measurements, they are...

The recipe states this serves 4

2 boneless rib steaks or center-cut sirloin steaks about 1 1/4" thick at room temp
2 large garlic cloves, 1 halved, 1 grated (The grated is for the food processor. Because it was going in there, I did not grate it.)
coarse salt and pepper (I like kosher salt and fresh ground pepper)
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, 1 finely chopped
1/2 cup EVOO plus additional for liberal drizzling
1 cup packed arugula leaves
1/4 cup fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
a small handful of fresh sage leaves
1 small shallot (Chop it into chunks before throwing it in the processor)
3 tbsp sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar

If you don't have a food processor and you want to take the time to finely chop everything by hand, that's your battle to win. It can be done, but I love my processor. I use it several times a week. It is a true friend, always there when I need it and ready to work. 


Thanks for taking the time to read my post! I hope you will try this recipe. It was really great and I can't wait to use this sauce on other meat. I think it would be tasty on just about anything!

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