Artichoke Pasta
Servings: 4 people
- 12 ounces (340 grams) pasta any
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) extra virgin olive oil
- 2 shallots finely chopped. Sub onion.
- 3 cloves garlic grated
- 2 small cans (14 oz each) (450 grams drained) artichoke hearts quartered
- ½ cup (70 grams) olives pitted
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon (15 grams) lemon juice optional
- ¾ cup (75 grams) grated parmesan or dairy-free cheese
- ¼ cup (60 grams) water
- 3 tablespoons (20 grams) parsley finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons (20 grams) pine nuts toasted, optional
- Warm up the olive oil in a large skillet. Add finely chopped shallots and fry gently for 2 minutes. Add grated garlic, olives, quartered artichoke hearts, salt, black pepper, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Add freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional) and cook for one more minute until the liquid has evaporated.
- Transfer half of the artichoke-olives mixture to a food processor, add grated parmesan, water, and blend until you have a creamy pesto-like sauce.
- Transfer sauce to pan with artichokes and wait for the pasta to cook.
- Cook pasta al dente in a large pot of salted boiling water per package instructions. Reserve one cup of pasta water, drain pasta, and add it to the pan with the sauce.Tip: you can boil and cook the pasta while you make the sauce.
- Add ½ cup of reserved pasta water and finely chopped parsley. Toss on medium heat till fully coated in the sauce.Add more parmesan, olive oil, salt, pepper, and reserved pasta water if needed.
- Serve immediately as is, or top with toasted pine nuts, mint leaves, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Nutrition information is for one serving of artichoke pasta out of four servings.
SUBSTITUTIONS
Artichokes: sub fresh artichokes for canned/jarred ones. You need to clean and pan fry them first. To do so, follow our guide on how to cook with artichokes.
Parmesan: sub pecorino Romano for parmesan. To make it vegan, sub dairy-free cheese or almonds + peanuts for cheese.
Shallots: sub onion, white or red.
Pine nuts: sub toasted and crushed hazelnuts.
VARIATIONS
Spinach artichoke pasta: add 3 handfuls of baby spinach to the skillet with the sauce, stir and cook for a couple of minutes until the spinach wilt. Add pasta and finish as instructed above.
HOW TO COOK PASTA?
You'll need a large pot of salted water as follows:
8 ounces of pasta (230 grams): cook pasta in 2 quarts of boiling water (8 cups or 2 Liters) with 1 tablespoon of salt (15 grams). Serves 2 - 3 people.
12 ounces of pasta (340 grams): cook pasta in 3 quarts of boiling water (12 cups or 3 Liters) with 1 ½ tablespoons of salt (21 grams). Serves 4 people.
1 pound of pasta (450 grams): cook pasta in 1 gallon of boiling water (16 cups or 4 Liters) with 2 tablespoons of salt (30 grams). Serves 5-6 people.
HOW MUCH PASTA PER PERSON?
Here's a simple summary:
3.5 ounces (100 grams) per person if is the main meal;
2.8/3 ounces (80/90 grams) per person if part of a 2 - 3 course meal;
2.5 ounces (60/70 grams) per person if part of a 3+ course meal.
MAKE AHEAD & STORAGE
Make ahead: you can cook the artichokes, make the artichoke sauce up to 2 days in advance, and store it in the fridge in an airtight container.
Refrigerator: store leftover artichoke pasta in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Also, store a cup of reserved pasta water for reheating.
Reheat: reheat in the microwave with a couple of tablespoons of reserved pasta water (or tap water) drizzled on top. Alternatively, reheat on the stovetop in a skillet with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and water.
Freezer: this recipe is not freezer friendly.
