6 days ago
7
Preparing fresh artichokes is a labour of love – there are countless videos online that show you how it’s done – but worth it. There’s a purity in this dish that will allow you to really taste the artichoke, along with its excellent flavour partners, spring garlic and mint. If you absolutely can’t be bothered to prepare them fresh, you can just use tinned ones. It’s still going to taste fabulous.
Ingredients
4 large globe artichokes
juice of 1 lemon, plus 2 tbsp lemon juice
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 eschallots (French shallots), peeled and chopped
1 stalk green (aka young) garlic or 3 large garlic cloves, minced
500g fresh tagliatelle (or about 350g dried)
100g creme fraiche
¼ cup mint leaves, finely chopped
¼ cup parsley leaves, finely chopped
pecorino romano, to serve
salt and black pepper
Method
Step 1
Fill a medium-sized mixing bowl with water and squeeze the juice of 1 lemon into it. Prep your first artichoke by using your fingers to remove the tough, outer green leaves until you can only see the tender yellow ones underneath. Break off the stalk and use a small paring knife to remove any further green from around the base of the artichoke. Slice off the top half of the artichoke, which will reveal the prickly, hairy purple “choke” at its heart. Use a teaspoon to scoop out and discard. Cut the remaining, pale artichoke in half lengthways.
Step 2
Immediately place the two halves in the lemon water and keep them submerged to prevent them going brown (artichokes oxidise quickly). Repeat these steps for the remaining artichokes. When you’re done, remove the halves from the water and thinly slice on your chopping board. Return to the water.
Step 3
Heat a large, wide saute pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, shallots and garlic, plus a pinch of salt, and sizzle for about a minute.
Step 4
Next, drain the artichokes and add them to the pan. (Don’t dry them; the water that clings to the artichokes will help steam and cook them.) Sprinkle more salt over them, cover the pan with a lid and cook on low-medium heat for 10 minutes until tender. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Step 5
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Cook the pasta in the boiling water for about 2 minutes if it’s fresh, longer if it’s dry (follow the packet instructions).
Step 6
Using tongs, transfer the pasta from the water to the pan with the artichokes. Return the pan to a medium heat and add the 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, a ladleful of the pasta water, creme fraiche and herbs. Toss everything together until the sauce has thickened a bit and coats the pasta. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.
Step 7
Turn out the pasta onto a platter or divide between 4 bowls. Grate the pecorino over the top, adding a drizzle of olive oil and a crack of fresh black pepper.
