The Very Italian Way Giada De Laurentiis Spices Up Arugula Salad

There are all kinds of ways to transform a plate of lettuce (arugula or otherwise) from a simple side dish to a meaty main course. You can top it with leftover rotisserie chicken (is this the millionth time you've heard that tip?), you can mix in deli meats and cheeses for a chef salad (not to be confused with our Chef Mike salad), or you can toss an Italian-style chopped salad with provolone, pepperoni, and salami. For something a bit more unexpected, though, try taking a page out of Giada De Laurentiis' cookbook and making it into a meatball salad.

Unlike the rotisserie chicken-topped salad described above, De Laurentiis' salad uses the lettuce to cover the meat. Her recipe starts with homemade meatballs in jarred marinara sauce. She plops a few of these in a bowl, then layers on some arugula that's been dressed with olive oil, lemon juice, and parmesan. This presentation, if served as an entree, makes for a lighter, low-carb alternative to a classic pasta dish like spaghetti and meatballs. It could also make a hearty appetizer for a meal of lasagna or baked ziti.

Meatball salad, even one made with arugula, isn't a Giada De Laurentiis exclusive. In fact, it's long been a staple of Chicago-style Italian eateries like Mart Anthony's. One Takeout writer described their first encounter with that restaurant's meatball salad as featuring arugula, spinach, cucumbers, olives, and tomatoes in a vinaigrette dressing, topped (not bottomed) with two tasty meatballs in marinara. Another Chicago Italian restaurant, Club Lucky's, has a dish called Nonna's Meatball Insalata on its menu, although the meatballs are described as being served alongside the greenery rather than on top of or under it. Portillo's, the Chicago-based chain known for its Italian beef sandwiches, introduced a meatball salad back in the 20-teens, which also had the meat on the side. Unfortunately, it no longer appears to be available.

Jeff Mauro, a chef who hails from Chicago, has his own meatball salad recipe, which is markedly different from De Laurentiis'. His meatballs (also homemade) aren't left whole and served in a pool of marinara. Instead, they're fried, cut into quarters, and sprinkled over a bowl of romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, provolone, pepperoncini, black olives, and cucumbers that have been tossed with an Italian vinaigrette. For what it's worth, his meatball salad has earned a five-star rating from Food Network users, while De Laurentis' recipe has 4.5 stars.