Artichoke pasta 🍝 

Pasta with artichokes is a simple first course to prepare but really very tasty that has artichokes as absolute protagonists. For the seasoning of the pasta I will in fact use all the parts of the artichoke as a unique, exquisite, condiment. Just sauté the hearts of the artichoke cut into thin slices in a pan and boil the stems that you will then blend to obtain a delicious cream, perfect to give flavor and mix the dish better. As pasta I chose tagliatelle but you can choose the pasta format you prefer. For artichokes instead, depending on the season, you can use autumn or spring varieties. The only "boring" part of this recipe is the cleaning of artichokes for which I recommend using gloves so as not to blacken your hands.

INGREDIENTS

Artichokes 4 medium size 

Tagliatelle 160 g 

Shallots 1 

extra virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons 

salt 

mint 

Pepper

PREPARATION

Clean the artichokes by removing the hardest outer leaves, the tip and any internal beard, and then cut them into slices that you will immerse in water and lemon juice. Also clean the stems by removing the outermost part. Brown the thinly sliced shallot in oil, then add the artichokes cut into slices, add salt and cook, adding, if necessary, a ladle of hot water. Cut the stems into slices and boil them in salted water. At the end of cooking, perfume the artichokes with mint leaves. Blend the stems and add the cream obtained with the artichokes, then season with salt and pepper. Drain the pasta al dente and add it to the sauce, mixing everything with a little bit of cooking water. 

PRESERVATION

I advise you to consume the pasta with artichokes immediately but if you have a leftover, keep it in the refrigerator closed in an airtight container for a maximum of 1 day.

VARIANTS

Pasta with artichokes and bacon

If you are not vegetarian or vegan you can enrich the pasta with 70 g of bacon. Cut it into strips and brown it in a non-stick pan over low heat. Remove it from the pan and keep it aside. Add a tablespoon of oil in the same pan and brown the shallot, then continue as the recipe of the post. At the end serve and complete with the crispy bacon. If you want you can prepare the same way the pasta with artichokes and bacon.

Pasta with artichokes and tomato

If you want to try a red version of pasta with artichokes use 160 g of pasta, 2 artichokes, 200 g of peeled tomatoes, 1 clove of garlic, salt and pepper. For the procedure clean and cut the artichokes as indicated in the post, then brown the garlic in a non-stick pan with a little oil, add the artichokes, salt, pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Add the peeled tomatoes, dilute with a ladle of water and cook for 15 minutes. Cook the pasta and drain it al dente with a slotted spoon directly in the pan with the sauce. Cook for a few minutes and serve.

Pasta with artichokes and sausage

If you love stronger and decisive flavors, pasta with artichokes and sausage is for you. You will need: 160 g of pasta, 2 artichokes, 180 g of sausage, white wine, salt and pepper. Clean and cut the artichokes as indicated in the post, remove the sausage from the casing and shell it. Brown it in a non-stick pan without other fats for a few minutes, then blend with a finger of wine and let it evaporate. Remove the sausage from the pan and keep it aside. Cook the artichokes in the same pan as the sausage, adding, if necessary, a tablespoon of oil. Season with salt and pepper. At the end of cooking, put the sausage back in the pan and stir. Boil the pasta and drain it al dente with a slotted spoon directly into the pot with the sauce, making everything flavor well for a minute.