I love the brightness that lemon infuses into the otherwise earthy and delicate artichoke. Some people toss artichokes with Parmesan and bread crumbs to give them a crispy coating, while others chop them up and add them to Greek-style salad. I'm a fan of mixing it in with pasta, so I decided to make it ahead for lunch this week.
I was very tempted to make this pasta with butter, but as the weather warms up, I'm reminded that summer is coming and I can't afford to eat all that--just kidding. I don't really care.
The real reason is that I recently learned chefs in southern Italy typically cook with olive oil rather than butter - it's actually too cold in northern Italy for olive trees to grow, which is why butter is used more there. Though modern cooking often breaks traditional rules to venture into new territory (which is great), I find it interesting sometimes to try things in a particular style - there has to be a good reason they stick by their olive oil!
I definitely did not regret doing so. Here's the delicious evidence/recipe:
2/3 lb. capellini pasta
12 oz. artichokes hearts, quartered
salt and black pepper to taste
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup pasta water
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chicken broth
Optional: 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
I was very tempted to make this pasta with butter, but as the weather warms up, I'm reminded that summer is coming and I can't afford to eat all that--just kidding. I don't really care.
The real reason is that I recently learned chefs in southern Italy typically cook with olive oil rather than butter - it's actually too cold in northern Italy for olive trees to grow, which is why butter is used more there. Though modern cooking often breaks traditional rules to venture into new territory (which is great), I find it interesting sometimes to try things in a particular style - there has to be a good reason they stick by their olive oil!
I definitely did not regret doing so. Here's the delicious evidence/recipe:
Lemon Artichoke Pasta
Ingredients
2/3 lb. capellini pasta
12 oz. artichokes hearts, quartered
salt and black pepper to taste
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup pasta water
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chicken broth
Optional: 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
Directions
Set pasta to boil. Cook according to directions (preferably al dente). Separate 1/4 cup of pasta water in a mug. While draining pasta, run a bit of cold water over it. Add a tbsp. of olive oil to prevent the pasta from sticking.
While the pasta is cooking, heat 2 tbsp. of oil over medium heat. Sprinkle black pepper onto heated oil. Add garlic, cook for a minute until golden brown. Do not let it get any darker than that - you don't want to burnt garlic. Then, crushing oregano with your hands to wake the flavors up, add it to the pan along with the chicken stock, lemon juice, pasta water and salt as needed. Bring the liquid to a simmer and add the artichokes. Stir to infuse the artichokes with the flavors of the simmering liquid, about 2 minutes.
Remove from heat. Add pasta and stir well to combine. Serve hot as a side with a protein. Enjoy!
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P.S. I made some Moroccan chicken to go with the pasta using this delicious Moroccan Spice Paste I found at Sur La Table. Try it if you get a chance!
Follow me on Instagram for daily #foodporn.
Remove from heat. Add pasta and stir well to combine. Serve hot as a side with a protein. Enjoy!
--
P.S. I made some Moroccan chicken to go with the pasta using this delicious Moroccan Spice Paste I found at Sur La Table. Try it if you get a chance!
Follow me on Instagram for daily #foodporn.
