Weeknight Pasta with Artichoke Sauce. (2024)

FAQs

What is artichoke pasta made of? ›

Artichoke pasta typically includes ingredients such as cooked pasta (usually linguine or spaghetti), artichoke hearts (canned or fresh), garlic, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and sometimes herbs like parsley or basil for added flavour.

Canned artichokes are also a lunchtime hero: Try chopping and stirring them into a quick meal like chicken or tuna salad, or even let them replace the protein altogether as a vegetarian option. Chop them even finer and use them as a flavor-bomb of a spread on a regular ham or turkey sandwich.

When choosing canned artichokes, you'll find that they're usually sold either whole or quartered in a saltwater solution. When you open a can of artichokes, be sure to rinse them thoroughly so that all you're left with is the sweet, slightly tangy flavor and creamy texture of the vegetable.

The custom of consuming artichokes originated precisely in the Jewish ghetto of Rome between 1555 and 1870, traditionally prepared for Pesach, the Jewish Passover, a theory justified by the seasonality of the vegetable, which sees its peak growth period in spring.

Being especially rich in fiber, artichokes can slow our digestion down, producing gases. This can make people who are prone to gas and flatulence feel worse.

It also increases the production of bile, which helps remove harmful toxins from your liver ( 8 ). In one study, artichoke leaf extract decreased inflammation and liver cell death in mice with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease ( 16 ). Studies in humans also show positive effects on liver health.

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.

When preparing an artichoke, discard the center "choke" (except in baby artichokes), but the base of the petals, the center of the stem and the entire artichoke heart are completely edible and easy to cook. That's when all the fun begins!

They are nutritious, providing an excellent source of fiber, vitamin K, and folate, a very good source of vitamin C and magnesium, and a good source of manganese and potassium. Artichokes are an excellent source of many phytonutrients, including antioxidants, which work to help protect against many health risks.

Are canned artichokes already cooked? ›

Cook a double recipe and save half for a cold pasta salad, adding pepperoni or tuna, cheese, broccoli, scallions and olives for an Italian picnic treat. Canned chokes are already cooked, so in hot dishes, add them at the last 10-15 minutes of simmering. They only need warming.

You can just eat them raw

The easiest artichoke option of them all, of course, is simply eating them straight from the jar. If you're buying canned from the supermarket, you'll want to be sure to give them a good rinse to remove excess sodium; otherwise, it's easy to eat them straight.

And by the way, the stem of the artichoke is also edible, but you have to peel it first. Depending on your cooking method, you may want to remove the stem altogether, so that it stands up straight. But the stem is actually as tasty as the heart.

The leaves surround a fuzzy center called the “choke” which sits on top of the meaty core, called the “heart.” The heart is completely edible. The choke is fuzzy and very fibrous, so it's only edible in baby artichokes.

artichoke, (Cynara cardunculus, variety scolymus), large thistlelike perennial plant of the aster family (Asteraceae) grown for its edible flower buds. The flesh at the base of the thick leathery bracts and the receptacle of the immature flower head, known as the heart, are a culinary delicacy.

Place artichoke hearts in a food processor and process until smooth. Process cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, garlic, and dill with artichoke hearts until the mixture is smooth and well blended. Transfer to a 9-inch pie pan. Bake in the preheated oven until bubbly and lightly brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

Place the drained artichokes, cheese, lemon zest and juice, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper in a food processor. Blend until combined and creamy. It won't be totally smooth, but you do want it combined and sauce-like. Taste and season the sauce with more salt and pepper as you find necessary.

The artichoke is the immature flower bud of a thistle. It is eaten as a vegetable and is culinarily classified as such. The plant is a member of the aster family, and the bud is harvested before it blossoms. Artichoke is not an easy vegetable to prepare, and you'll need to do some work to get to the edible parts.