What Is Arugula? The Peppery Green on Your Pizza

Arugula (also called rocket or rucola) is a peppery, slightly bitter leafy green from the mustard family (Brassicaceae). It has been cultivated in the Mediterranean since Roman times, when it was eaten both as a vegetable and a medicinal herb. The leaves are lobed and slightly serrated, with a flavor that ranges from mildly peppery in young leaves to intensely sharp and mustardy in mature plants. Arugula appears on pizza not as a cooked topping but as a raw finishing green — added after the pizza exits the oven so it wilts just slightly from the residual heat while retaining its crunch, color, and bite.

Why Is Arugula Added After Baking, Not Before?

Arugula is added to pizza after baking because heat destroys its defining characteristics. At oven temperatures above 300 degrees Fahrenheit, arugula wilts completely within seconds, losing its peppery bite, vibrant green color, and crisp texture. It turns into a dark, limp, bitter mass indistinguishable from any other overcooked green. By adding it after the oven, you get the contrast that makes arugula valuable: cool, raw, and sharp against the hot, melted, rich surface of the pizza. The residual heat of the crust and cheese wilts the arugula just enough to release some of its volatile mustard oils — the compounds responsible for that distinctive peppery flavor — without collapsing the leaves entirely. This is why every serious pizzeria adds arugula post-bake.

What Does Arugula Taste Like?

Arugula has a peppery, slightly nutty flavor with a bitter finish. The intensity depends on the age and size of the leaves. Baby arugula (harvested at 2-3 weeks) is mild, tender, and only faintly peppery. Mature arugula (harvested at 5-7 weeks) is strongly peppery, fibrous, and assertively bitter. The peppery sensation comes from glucosinolates — the same sulfur-containing compounds found in mustard, horseradish, and wasabi. When you chew arugula, the enzyme myrosinase converts glucosinolates into isothiocyanates, which trigger the peppery "heat" on your palate. This is not capsaicin heat like a chili pepper — it is a sharp, nasal, wasabi-adjacent burn that fades quickly.

What Pizzas Pair Best with Arugula?

• Bianca (white pizza): No tomato sauce — just olive oil, garlic, mozzarella, and a pile of fresh arugula after baking. The peppery green replaces the acidity that tomato sauce normally provides.
• Prosciutto and arugula: The salty, fatty prosciutto meets the bitter, peppery green for a classic Italian contrast. Add shaved Parmesan for a third layer.
• Margherita with arugula: A traditional Margherita finished with a handful of arugula adds complexity to the simplest pizza in the repertoire.
• Fig and goat cheese: The sweetness of fig and tang of goat cheese need arugula's bitterness to prevent the pizza from becoming cloying.
• Mushroom and truffle oil: Earthy mushrooms with aromatic truffle oil balanced by the sharpness of fresh arugula.

Is Arugula Healthy?

Arugula is one of the most nutrient-dense greens per calorie. One cup of raw arugula (about 20 grams) contains only 5 calories but delivers 27% of your daily vitamin K, 3% of vitamin A, 3% of vitamin C, and 3% of folate. It is rich in nitrates, which studies have linked to lower blood pressure and improved athletic performance. The glucosinolates in arugula have been studied for their potential anti-cancer properties, particularly in cruciferous vegetables. As a pizza topping, arugula adds virtually no calories while contributing vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals that no other common pizza topping provides. It is the rare topping that makes pizza legitimately more nutritious.

Arugula on pizza is not garnish. It is a functional ingredient — adding bitterness, pepper, and crunch that cuts through rich cheese and fatty toppings. Without it, a white pizza has no counterpoint.

Arugula at Forni

We use fresh arugula as a finishing green on several of our pizzas and as an available topping for Build Your Own orders. The arugula goes on after the 800-degree bake — never before — so you get the full peppery impact against our fresh mozzarella and wood-fired crust. If you have never tried arugula on pizza, start with a Bianca: olive oil, garlic, mozzarella, and a generous pile of rocket after the oven. It is the simplest way to understand why this green earns its place on the menu. Visit us at 5800 Seminary Rd in Falls Church.

Want to learn about more pizza toppings? Read our guide to the best topping combinations →