Grandpa Joe's
Linguine with Baby Artichokes

One of my favorite ways to enjoy the foods of spring!

About this recipe

In the Midwest at least, baby artichokes are only readily available in the spring, and only in some markets.  When they are, however, they make for a spectacular treat regardless of how you prepare them.

I prefer to saute them in extra virgin olive oil, sometimes with a touch of crushed red pepper, and then serve them with pasta and cheese – typically linguine and Romano cheese.

Ingredients

  • fresh baby artichokes
  • 2 lemons
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • crushed red pepper
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • pasta
  • freshly grated hard Italian cheese

Directions

  1. Fill a large bowl with cold water and add the juice of two freshly squeezed lemons.  Add the lemons themselves to the water.
  2. Working with one choke at a time, and with a sharp paring knife, pull or cut off the first layer of leaves.  If the second layer does not appear to be light green and tender, remove a second layer.  Slice off the top half-inch of the artichoke, and then remove a thin layer of flesh from any stem that is attached to the bottom.  Finally, slice off a tiny portion of the very bottom of the stem, slice the artichoke into quarters, and place them immediately in the acidulated water.  The lemon juice will prevent the choke from oxidizing and changing color.
  3. Heat 2 or 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a 12-inch sauté pan over medium heat.  Drain the chokes and quickly add them to the hot pan.  Season with salt, pepper, and (optionally) the crushed red pepper.  Cook until the chokes are tender, about 6 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling salted water.  Be sure to reserve a half-cup of the pasta water. 
  5. When the pasta is al dente, drain it and add it to the sauté pan, together with the reserved pasta water.  Mix the pasta with the chokes and remove to a large serving dish.
  6. Add about a quarter cup of your best olive oil, sprinkle generously with your favorite grated cheese, and mix well again.
  7. Serve immediately.
Linguine with Baby Artichokes and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Notes

  • I usually prepare 3 or 4 artichokes and cook one-quarter pound of dry pasta per person.
  • Any pasta will work with this recipe.  I prefer linguine, but for no other reason than I like linguine!
  • Again, I prefer Romano cheese, but any hard Italian cheese will taste as good or better – particularly Parmigiano-Reggiano, Caciocavallo, or Asiago.
Posted: April 2015.