Artichokes Alla Romana / Roman Style Artichoke Recipe (2024)

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ByRosemary

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Artichokes Alla Romana (Roman Style), the most delicious way to eat artichokes. Sautéed in olive oil, with fresh mint, garlic and oregano so deliciously tasty. I bet you can’t eat just one!

Artichokes Alla Romana / Roman Style Artichoke Recipe (1)

I think one of the things I truly enjoy about Italy is that there is a season for every vegetable. Now after all these years I know that the summer brings tomatoes, green beans, eggplant and zucchini, the early spring brings us asparagus and artichokes.

Especially Artichokes alla Romana.I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve received a bouquet of wild asparagus from my husband. He who finds wild asparagus growing around our olive trees, around our fences basically anywhere and everywhere.

He always looks so proud when he hands them to me. I guess if I could cook roses or calla lilies I would see more of those.

So these days everywhere you look there are artichokes. Big, small or medium, ready for deep-frying, canning under oil, making a frittata or tossing with some pasta.

Artichokes Alla Romana / Roman Style Artichoke Recipe (2)

Table of Contents

How to Clean Artichokes

  1. Artichokes can darken your hands, so you can either wear gloves or rub your hands with lemon juice.
  2. Before you start to clean the artichokes, fill a large bowl with cold water, and the juice from one lemon.
  3. Then remove the tougher outer leaves, until you reach the more tender ones.
  4. Cut the top, removing about 1 inch or 2-3 cm off the top.
  5. Cut off the stem and trim to about 2-3 inches, clean with a sharp paring knife by removing the outer tough peel (place clean artichokes and stem in the bowl of water as you go).
  6. Depending on what you are making with the artichokes, you can remove the choke either by slicing them in half and removing it with a sharp paring knife, or leaving them whole and using either a spoon or knife to remove it.
  7. As this point you can proceed with the recipe or place the cleaned artichokes in freezer bags and freeze.

More Recipes with Artichokes

  • Simple Tasty Artichoke Frittata
  • Easy Skillet Artichoke and Spaghetti
  • Italian Sausage Artichoke Cheese Pizza
  • Italian Fried Artichokes
Artichokes Alla Romana / Roman Style Artichoke Recipe (3)

But as far as I’m concerned and the rest of my family for that matter, this is the absolute best way to eat them. Artichokes alla Romana or Roman Style Artichokes.I had never tasted an artichoke until I arrived in Italy. I remember my Canadian friends explaining to me how delicious they were.

How they cooked them and then pulled leafs off one at a time . And they would scrape the soft portion with their teeth. Well I always thought that was one of the most absurd and not so appetizingmethods of eating a vegetable.

Artichokes Alla Romana / Roman Style Artichoke Recipe (4)

And then the day arrived that I ate the most delicious, amazing, tasty vegetable ever planted. Made with fresh chopped mint, olive oil, chopped garlic and oregano.

When the vegetable is young you can cook it whole, when the season starts to pass you just cut them in half, remove the choke and continue with the recipe.

This is the way an artichoke should be cooked and eaten, Artichoke Alla Romana. So start chopping and Buon Appetito!

Artichokes Alla Romana / Roman Style Artichoke Recipe (5)

Artichokes Alla Romana / Roman Style Artichoke Recipe (6)

Artichokes Alla Romana (Roman Style)

Rosemary Molloy

Artichokes Alla Romana (Roman Style), the most delicious way to eat artichokes. Sautéed in olive oil, with fresh mint, garlic and oregano so deliciously tasty. I bet you can’t eat just one!

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Side Dishes

Cuisine Italian

Servings 4 servings

Calories 276 kcal

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

  • 10 small to medium artichokes stems included cleaned and halved, buy the tenderest artichokes you can find
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint 5 grams
  • 2 cloves large of garlic chopped
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano 1 gram
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt 3 grams
  • 1/4 cup olive oil 55 grams
  • 1 cup water 235 grams

Instructions

  • In a large bowl squeeze the juice of a lemon. Remove the tough, outer leaves from the artichoke (should be about 3-4 layers of leaves) or until you reach leaves that are pale yellow. Cut in half or leave whole (when you cut it in half , cut out the choke using a knife (it looks almost furry, actually if you get artichokes fresh enough there might not even be a choke). The stem should be cut from the artichoke, leave about 2 – 3 inches and clean, (trim with a knife peeling off the tough outer layer) put cleaned artichoke and stem into bowl of lemon water (this keeps them from turning brown). Repeat with remaining artichokes.

  • In a small bowl, mix together mint,garlic,oregano,salt and olive oil, drain artichokes and stems and place in a medium frying pan, cover with oil mixture, add 1 cup of water, mix gently to combine, cover and cook over low to medium heat for approximately 20 minutes or until water has evaporated and artichokes are tender. To die for. Buon appetito!

Notes

If you want to use frozen artichokes then do the following – If the artichokes are whole then slice them in half (from top to bottom), place them in a pan cut side up with a tablespoon or 2 of olive oil, and drizzle the mint oil mixture over the artichokes. I would probably use a little less water 1/2 cup to start with (since the artichokes are frozen) and continue with the recipe. If by the time the water has evaporated and they aren’t cooked then just add a bit more water and continue cooking.

Nutrition

Calories: 276kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 741mg | Potassium: 1210mg | Fiber: 17g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 165IU | Vitamin C: 38.7mg | Calcium: 166mg | Iron: 4.7mg

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  1. Is there any way this recipe can be adapted to frozen or canned artichokes? I am a native Californian and love artichokes. But I have never been successful in preparing them any way other than steaming, along the lines of what Valeria complained about re American artichokes. Too tough. But I would love to make this recipe work.

    Reply

    1. Hi Traveler, I would make them all the time with frozen (my daughter’s favourite veggie are artichokes) when my daughter was home. If the artichokes are whole then slice them in half (from top to bottom), place them in the pan with a tablespoon or two of olive oil, and drizzle the mint oil mixture over the artichokes (cut side up). I would probably use a little less water 1/2 cup to start with (since the artichokes are frozen if they aren’t cooked once the water has evaporated just add a bit more and continue with the recipe) and continue with the recipe. I don’t think it would work as well with canned. Let me know how it goes.

      Reply

  2. Artichokes Alla Romana / Roman Style Artichoke Recipe (7)
    Hi Rosemary,
    Thank you for sharing this recipe. I am a Roman-born who has moved across the Atlantic to the United States and very much misses Roman artichokes!
    Unfortunately, there is no place in New York who sells edible artichokes that are not full of “barba” and covered in tough woody leaves 🙁
    I have to cut them really thin just so I can chew them. I guess that’s why over here people insist on pulling leaves one by one and scraping the pulp with their teeth – as you mentioned above.
    I want to thank you for sharing the absolute best way to make these delicious gifts of nature and for bringing authentic Italian recipes to us in America. So often I find recipes online – supposedly Italian – that really make me scratch my head…

    Keep posting!
    I’ll def keep on reading 🙂

    Reply

    1. Hi Valeria thanks so much your comment makes me love what I do even more. Have a wonderful Sunday.

      Reply

  3. These artichokes look absolutely AMAZING!! I’m sold, even before tasting them! I grew up in a very small coastal town in Northern California, and the local farmers grew fields upon fields of beautiful artichokes that we could buy fresh picked from one of their small farm stands they would set up right on their property. I used to love stopping by one the many stands right off the road on my way home from work and picking up my fresh, really fresh, veggies for dinner at night. Now, I live in Oklahoma (yes, I ALSO followed love!) and while there a many fresh veggies to buy, I very, VERY, RARELY see any good artichokes here. I’m guessing the climate here is too warm to grow them. I believe the cooler coastal climate, with the early evening fog rolling in from the ocean was what made artichokes grow so abundantly there. Does that sound about right in your opinion, or should I just go ahead and try to grow some here in Oklahoma?

    Many, many thanks for sharing all of your delicious recipes with us!!!

    Reply

    1. Hi River, thanks so much, glad you enjoy the recipes. Well about the artichokes, I just looked to see what kind of weather you get there and it seems to be quite close to weather where I am in Italy, so I would say give it a try. Our plants produce around early April (later than when I can find it in the stores, but of course they are tastier). Let me know how it goes.

      Reply

  4. This looks simply amazing! We usually get a jar of roasted artichokes in olive oil and add some spaghetti along with Parmesan Reggiano. But this looks like I need to add artichokes to the garden!

    Reply

    1. Hi Elaine, thanks so much. Yes artichokes are so good and if you have the space plant a few.:)

      Reply

  5. What am I missing? The recipe says to cut the artichokes in half but the picture shows the artichokes whole. Shouldn’t the picture have matched the recipe?

    Reply

    1. Hi Jo, you can actually do either, leave whole or cut. Just depends on what you prefer.

      Reply

  6. Artichokes Alla Romana / Roman Style Artichoke Recipe (8)
    I love the photos in this post! Artichokes have always intimidated me but I think I’ll have to give this recipe a try!

    Reply

    1. Hi Jayme, it is quite easy, and really good, I hope you enjoy it!

      Reply

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Artichokes Alla Romana / Roman Style Artichoke Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between Roman artichokes and regular artichokes? ›

Rome's artichokes are world-famous and very popular in the Roman cuisine. Unlike other artichokes, they are round and soft, and more importantly they have no spines.

How to make artichoke a la romana? ›

Arrange artichokes in pot and season with salt and pepper. Bring pot to a simmer over medium-high heat, then lower heat to a bare simmer, cover, and cook until artichokes are fork-tender, 20 to 30 minutes. (Smaller artichokes may not take as long.) Remove from heat and transfer artichokes to a platter, stem sides up.

How do you eat Roman style artichokes? ›

In the traditional version, artichokes are deep-fried whole until they are crispy and golden brown and enjoyed simply with salt, pepper, and lemon wedges. To prepare them, the tough leaves of the outer artichoke are removed, and the artichoke is then flattened slightly to help it cook evenly.

Do you eat the whole Roman artichoke? ›

While other countries usually eat the leaves and discard the stalk, in Rome we usually trim the hard, outer leaves along with the base and exterior part of the stem before preparing and cooking the artichokes whole, making the result fully edible (many Romans believe the stem, or gambo, to be the best, most flavorsome, ...

What is the best tasting artichoke variety? ›

For the best success he recommends varieties Green Globe, Imperial Star and Emerald. "For something unusual, try growing Violetto," Myers said. "It is particularly variable for spines and purple heads, but in my opinion, has the best flavor of all of the artichokes."

What is the difference between Carciofi Alla Romana and Alla Giudia? ›

Carciofi alla Romana

They are then slowly braised, face down, in a little water for about an hour until they are soft all the way through and have taken on the flavor of the herbs. Whereas carciofi alla giudia are served as an appetizer, carciofi alla romana tend to come as a contorno, a vegetable side dish.

Why do you soak artichokes in water? ›

If your artichokes are going to sit out for more than a few minutes before cooking, submerge them in a large bowl of acidulated water (water plus the juice of one lemon) to keep them from oxidizing.

Why do you soak artichokes in lemon water? ›

It's believed that to keep artichokes from darkening, they must be stored in lemon water as soon as they are cut and then also cooked in lemon water.

How do Italians eat artichokes? ›

The Artichoke in Italian Cuisine

They are eaten raw in salads or alone, dipped in condimento, a simple bowl of good quality olive oil, salt, and fresh cracked black pepper. They're also found whole and stuffed in dishes like Carciofi alla Romana _or deep-fried in dishes like _Carciofi alla Giudia.

What not to eat on an artichoke? ›

Pull off and eat the individual petals from the cooked artichoke, marking your way down to the heart of the artichoke. 4. When you get to the heart of the artichoke, you will notice the fuzzy hair layer referred to as the "choke". This part of the artichoke is not edible.

What country eats the most artichokes? ›

Worldwide artichoke production is 1.59 million metric tons. Egypt comes next with 269,899 metric tons and Spain produces 199,940 metric tons. These three countries represent about half of the world's market. Italy also is the largest consumer, enjoying about 394,000 metric tons in 2018 and exporting 4,800 metric tons.

Why do Italians love artichokes? ›

Native to the Mediterranean, artichokes have been cultivated and eaten in Italy since the days of ancient Rome. The Romans popularised the idea that the artichoke was a powerful aphrodisiac, and until the 16th century women were forbidden from eating the vegetable because of its purported powers.

Why can't you eat the middle of an artichoke? ›

It is made up of many small, hair-like fibers that are difficult to digest and can cause irritation in the throat and digestive system. The choke is located in the center of the artichoke, surrounding the heart, and should be removed before cooking or eating.

Do Italians eat a lot of artichokes? ›

In Italy, carciofi are greatly appreciated in a variety of forms by gourmands—or bocche fini (literally “fine mouths”) as they are called in Italy—from delicate risotto or pasta sauces to beautifully preserved artichoke hearts.

Can you eat the fuzzy part of an artichoke heart? ›

Cook's Note: Consume only artichoke heart and tender portion of artichoke leaves; discard tough portion of leaves and fuzzy inner choke portion. Artichoke stem may be trimmed off and reserved for another use.

What are the three types of artichokes? ›

There may be as many as 50 different varieties of globe artichokes (Cynara scolymus), but they are different from other kinds of artichokes like Jerusalem artichokes, Chinese artichokes and Japanese artichokes. There are size differences, too, from jumbo to baby size.

Is there a difference between artichokes and Jerusalem artichokes? ›

What are Jerusalem artichokes? This vegetable is not truly an artichoke, but a variety of sunflower with a lumpy, brown-skinned tuber that often resembles a ginger root.

Are there 2 types of artichokes? ›

Artichoke varieties come in two primary types: large, round 'Globe' artichokes, and elongated, tapered artichokes like 'Violetta'. The plants share similar growth characteristics, soil demands, and cultural requirements. For information on growing artichokes, click Here.

Is Jerusalem artichoke the same as regular artichoke? ›

The Jerusalem artichoke is not an artichoke at all, as we know the more sophisticated globe artichoke. The Jerusalem version is actually related to the sunflower. The sunflower is called girasole in Italian, - it means gyrating or turning to the sun.

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