This easy recipe for pan roasted baby artichokes gives you all the artichoke flavor and no battles with the prickly parts. Perfect on pasta too!
Let’s pretend you told me that I could only eat one vegetable for the rest of my life, and I had to choose immediately.
I’d have a quick pang about corn, and asparagus, but it wouldn’t really be a tough decision. I’m an artichoke girl at heart…I love the prickly, ornery things.
Next to nice, cooperative, easy veggies like spinach and string beans they are a pain in the neck to prepare, and usually a complete work-out to eat, but they are just so dang scrumptious.
I do love a vegetable that plays hard to get.
However, I did recently find a recipe that tames the artichoke just a little, and is a glorious, easy, versatile extravaganza of artichoke wonderfulness.
The key to this is getting baby artichokes – cute little guys that have not grown up enough to have the prickly, hard-to-deal-with choke in the middle.
Lately I have been finding them in little plastic cases in my regular old supermarket – about 9 to a case, which is perfect. Here’s what you do.
Take each baby artichoke and pull off the first few layers of those tough outside leaves. You’re looking for the more tender, light green layer of leaves towards the middle.
Once you get the outside layer off, grab your sharpest knife and lop off the stem, as close to the bottom as you can get, and the top 1/2 inch or so of the remaining leaves.
Now cut the artichoke into halves and then quarters, length-wise.
Drop the quarters into a bowl of cold water with lemon juice in it while you do the same thing to the rest of the artichokes. It will take you about 10-15 minutes, tops, and by the end you will have worked out all your frustrations of the day. It’s very satisfying.
Now heat up about an inch of olive oil in a medium size skillet until it is smoking hot. Drain the artichokes, blot them to get the water off, and then carefully add them to the oil along with a generous dose of salt and pepper.
Roast them in the oil for about 5 minutes or until they are tender…spear one with a knife to check. Once they are tender, toss in some fresh chopped parsley, a little minced garlic and some red pepper, and stir it around for a minute.
Now, if you are going to serve them as is, you will want to scoop them out of the oil and drain them on some paper towels.
However, if you want to go direct to artichoke heaven, you can toss the whole thing – artichokes, oil, the entire shebang – into a bowl of hot pasta and toss. Sprinkle with some parmesan cheese, a grinding of fresh pepper, and ask yourself what vegetable YOU would want if you were on a desert island.
Or you could make yourself a Brie Artichoke Souffle Omelet. OH, THE POSSIBILITIES!
Artichokes, baby.
Pan Roasted Baby Artichokes
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 minutes
- Total Time: 21 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 24 baby artichokes
- Juice from 1 lemon
- Olive oil (enough for frying)
- Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
- A pinch of red pepper flakes
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
- Fill a bowl with cold water and add the lemon juice.
- Peel off the first layer of artichoke leaves from each artichoke. Cut of the very top of the leaves and the stem, and then cut them in quarters, dropping them in the water as you go.
- Fill a deep skillet or Dutch oven with about an inch of olive oil and heat over medium heat until smoking hot. Drain the artichokes and dry them with a paper towel, and then carefully add them to the skillet (a slotted spoon works great for this). Add a generous pinch of salt and pepper and cook until the artichokes start to turn brown, stirring here and there, about 5 minutes or so.
- Add the red pepper, garlic and parsley and stir for another minute.
- Scoop out the artichokes, sprinkle with coarse salt and serve with lemon wedges.
Notes
Turn this into a main dish by pouring the artichokes, oil and all, into a bowl of fresh cooked pasta. Toss and enjoy!
Matt says
Maybe I’m reading the recipe wrong, but where I’m from, they call “roasting in an inch of oil” deep frying.
Nothing wrong with deep frying, but let’s be honest with ourselves that that is what we’re going to do.
Hey Matt! Where I’m from, you need at least 3 inches of oil – in other words, enough to submerge whatever you are frying – to call something deep frying. HONEST. ?
Joanne says
These are the best! I’ve made them many times and they are always a hit, never any left, and people start nibbling on them before they even hit the table!
Aren’t they great? I love tossing them with pasta – pretty much artichoke heaven. :)
Beth Price says
Hi Kate, I just found the first little baby artichokes at the store this afternoon. Quick google search for a recipe, and found yours! Can’t wait to give it a try.
Beth
Kate says
Beth, I’m so glad you found me! And the baby artichokes…it must mean spring is actually on its way! Hope you love this recipe, it’s one of my all-time faves. :)
ruthie says
Okay, you’re having way too much influence on my culinary life. LOL! I just ordered a couple pounds of baby artichokes. Lucky me, living north of SF, I’ll get them the day after they’re sent. Then I’ll make these, haven’t had them in years. So, thanks for the reminder
I saw Michael Chiarello prepare these in a demo at CIA here for the Olive Oil Council. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to eat them. Darn.
Logistics Gal says
Good recipe, easy to execute!
FramedCooks says
Hurray! Give it a try, you won't regret it. :)
Patty says
I must say I'm not a big fan of artichokes but your recipe changes my mind!
Becki's Whole Life says
I love artichokes, too! I agree the babies are a great, easier way to cook them up. This method sounds wonderful – and still healthy!
Anonymous says
I made this recipe last night. I could only get frozen baby artichokes but it worked. It was a 4oz package. I followed the recipe but only added 2 cloves of garlic. This recipe is beyond great!
Getting a Restaurant Job says
Will go to supermarket later to buy artichokes, I'm going to try this one and I hope I can get it right. Thanks for sharing!
Rose D., NJ says
Oh my, do these look good!!
Not There Yet says
Yum yum yum. Cant wait to try this – hopefully will be able to find the artichokes at my grocer….
Nutmeg Nanny says
Confession: I have never had artichokes before…eeek! I need too. They look great!
Joanne says
I had a very traumatic experience with baby artichokes a few months ago…and I haven't worked up the courage to attempt to cook them again. But you make them look so good…
FOODalogue says
Love this…I'm an artichoke gal too!