Italian-Stuffed Artichokes
Our Nonna Pat’s favorite way to serve artichokes!
Ingredients:
1 lemon, halved
6 whole artichokes
¾ cup fresh breadcrumbs
½ cup grated Grana-style cheese
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
Method:
1. To prep the artichokes, squeeze the lemon halves into a large bowl and fill the bowl with cold water. Trim the bottom off each artichoke. Trim off the tough outer leaves and snip the thorny tips off the top leaves. As each one is completed, place it in the lemon water to prevent it from discoloring.
2. In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, cheese, garlic and parsley and then season with salt and pepper. Pull each leaf open slightly from each artichoke and stuff a little of the filling into the opening. Place the artichokes snugly side by side in a large pan with a tight-fitting lid. Add 1 inch of water to the pot. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and steam until the bottoms of the artichokes are tender, 35 to 45 minutes; a knife should insert easily.
3. Remove from pot and serve artichokes hot.
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Grilled Baby Artichokes with Lemon & Walnut Pesto
These petite grilled artichokes are a wonderful appetizer.
Ingredients:
6-8 baby artichokes
2 lemons, halved
¼ cup lemon juice
½ cup F&L walnut pesto
¼ cup olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. To prep the artichokes, squeeze the juice from the halved lemons into a large bowl of cold water. Snap off the outer dark green leaves of the artichokes so that the pale greenish-yellow inner leaves are visible, then trim off the top half-inch of each artichoke and cut each in half. Using a small knife, cut out the choke and remove any prickly-tipped leaves from the center of the artichoke half. Drop each trimmed wedge into the lemon water as you go.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drain the artichokes and add to the boiling water. Boil until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and transfer the artichokes to a rack to cool.
3. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, walnut pesto, olive oil, salt and pepper. Brush the artichokes with about half of the dressing, then grill until they are tender and lightly-charred in spots, about 5 minutes. Transfer artichokes to a platter and drizzle with remaining dressing. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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Braised Baby Artichokes
Simmered with white wine and chicken stock, these baby artichokes are melt-in-your-mouth tender. (Try spooning them over pasta with some freshly-grated Grana cheese!)
Ingredients:
1¼ pounds baby artichokes
1 lemon, halved
½ cup chicken stock
¼ cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
Method:
1. Fill a large bowl with water, and juice lemon into water. Reserve lemon halves. Remove tough outer leaves of artichokes. Trim pointy tops and stems, rubbing artichokes with lemon halves and then transferring them to the lemon water as you work to prevent discoloration. Cut larger baby artichokes in half lengthwise if desired.
2. Drain artichokes, and transfer to a large skillet along with stock, wine, and oil. Set over medium-high heat, and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally until artichokes are tender and golden and liquid has completely evaporated, about 12-15 minutes. Add minced garlic, toss and sauté until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately. If desired, top with toasted, buttered bread crumbs for an added crunch.
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Grilled Artichokes
Cracked pepper and a subtle lemon flavor perfectly accent these beautiful grilled artichokes.
Ingredients:
1 pound artichokes
2 lemons
3 cloves garlic
Olive oil
Fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Get a large pot of heavily-salted water boiling. Add the garlic and squeeze in the juice of 1 lemon, then also drop the peel into the pot.
2. To prep the artichokes, first cut the pointy tops off the leaves. Trim away the tough outer leaves and peel the stems. Cut the chokes in half and use a spoon to remove the inner leaves. Put the artichoke in the boiling water and boil until just tender, about 8-10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat the grill to hot. Drain the chokes and drizzle with a good amount of olive oil and grind some pepper over. Place artichokes on the grill cut side down. Grill for a couple minutes until artichokes start to char, then flip and grill them leaf side down.
4. Transfer to a platter and top with extra lemon juice.
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Sautéed Jerusalem Artichokes
This simple method from Saveur allows these artichokes’ natural sweet flavor to shine.
Ingredients:
2½ pounds Jerusalem artichokes
½ lemon
2 teaspoons butter
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Fill a medium pot with water. Squeeze in the juice from the lemon; drop the lemon half into the water. Using a small knife, peel artichokes, one knobby tuber at a time; cut each into 1-inch chunks and drop chunks into the pot. (It’s important to place the freshly cut chunks in the lemon-spiked water as you go to prevent discoloration.)
2. Pour in more water, if necessary, to cover artichokes by 1 inch. Season generously with salt. Bring to a boil, covered; reduce heat to medium. Simmer, uncovered, until just tender, 2–4 minutes. Drain and discard lemon.
3. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until butter just begins to turn golden brown and foam subsides. Add artichokes and spread them out evenly. Cook, without stirring, until golden brown on one side. Then occasionally stir gently until some sides are deep golden brown while some are paler, about 6–8 minutes total. Stir in thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste.
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Bucatini with Italian Sausage & Marinara Sauce
So simple, so satisfying: Top this week’s bucatini with our housemade sauce and cooked and crumbled Italian sausage.
Ingredients:
1 pound bucatini
1 pound Italian sausage
Nonna Pat’s Marinara Sauce
1 tablespoon butter
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Grana-style cheese
4 tablespoons micro basil
Method:
1. Cook the bucatini for 5-7 minutes in a pot of heavily salted water until al dente, or just cooked through with a bit of bite left. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water, and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, cook the Italian sausage in a large skillet over medium-high until no longer pink, breaking into bite-sized pieces with a spoon. Add in cooked pasta, 1 tablespoon butter and marinara sauce, tossing to combine thoroughly. Serve with a grated Grana-style cheese and a sprinkling of micro basil.
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Artichokes with Parsley & Lemon Pesto
Tossed with a fragrant spring pesto, this side dish pairs wonderfully with this week’s pasta main.
Ingredients:
4 medium artichokes
½ cup Italian parsley
3 cloves garlic
Zest from 1 lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
Method:
1. Trim the artichokes of their leaves, the choke, and the tough woody exterior of the stem. Rub the cut areas once in a while with the cut side of a lemon to prevent discoloration.
2. When the artichoke is trimmed, cut it into small chunks (¼-inch dice). Pulse parsley, garlic, lemon zest and salt together on in a food processor until just slightly chunky. (Chopping the salt with the other ingredients makes the mixture less sticky.)
3. In a medium skillet, heat about a tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Sauté artichoke pieces until they are softened and beginning to brown.
4. Add the pesto, mix thoroughly, and sauté for another minute or two until fragrant. Also wonderful topped with a fresh goat cheese crumbles.
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Summer Heirloom Tomato Pasta with Italian Sausage
This light and lovely pasta makes the best of summer heirlooms; we also recommend adding a dollop of creamy chevre to each serving!
Ingredients:
1 pound semolina pasta of your choice
1 pound Italian sausage
1 pound mixed cherry and heirloom tomatoes, cut in half for the cherry tomatoes, and then in bite-sized chunks for the larger heirlooms
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 tablespoons finely-chopped shallot
1 garlic clove, minced
Pinch red pepper flakes
¼ cup julienned basil leaves
Chevre cheese, for garnish
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. In a large bowl, toss together the tomatoes, 2 tablespoons olive oil, red pepper flakes, shallot and garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper to taste, and allow to sit while preparing the rest of the dish so that the flavors meld.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta to the water, stir gently and cook until al dente, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain.
3. In a large skillet, cook the Italian sausage over medium-high heat, crumbling into bite-sized pieces, until cooked through and no longer pink. Add the tomato mixture and the drained pasta to the skillet and toss thoroughly to combine. Stir in the basil and season with additional salt if needed. Transfer to individual serving bowls and add a generous dollop of chevre cheese to each and drizzle again with olive oil before serving.
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Sweet Italian Sausage & Orzo Ribollita
This spin on the classic Italian soup features puttanesca sauce, orzo pasta and toasted Pomodoro bread.
Ingredients:
¼ cup olive oil, plus additional for drizzling over the bread
1 pound sweet Italian sausage
1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, 1 minced and 1 whole
1 quart Nonna Pat’s puttanesca sauce
3 cups chicken stock
1 3-inch Parmesan cheese rind
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons combined fresh thyme leaves and chopped parsley
1 bunch Lacinato kale, greens removed from ribs and torn into bite-sized pieces
½ cup orzo pasta
4-6 slices pomodoro loaf
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Parmesan cheese, for serving
Method:
1. Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, sausage and minced garlic. Cook, crumbling the sausage into small pieces, until the onion is golden brown and the sausage is cooked through, about 7 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper.
2. Add the puttanesca sauce and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the brown bits. Add the chicken stock, bay leaf, herbs and Parmesan rind. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, then add the orzo and kale, and simmer an additional 10 minutes or until the orzo is cooked and kale is wilted.
3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°. Drizzle the sliced pomodoro bread with olive oil. Toast until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and rub the top of the toasts with the whole garlic clove. Place the toasts in the serving bowls and ladle the soup over the toasts. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve immediately.
Variation: In leiu of the pomodoro bread, free free to sub in the sourdough dinner rolls crafted from this week’s starter!
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Campanelle with Italian Chicken Sausage & Grana Roasted Broccolini
Also tossed with lemon juice and zest, this light and lovely pasta is a snap to prepare.
Ingredients:
1 pound Lagana Foods campanelle pasta
1 pound Italian chicken sausage
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons freshly-chopped parsley
Freshly-grated Grana cheese, for serving
Grana Cheese-Roasted Broccolini (see recipe)
Method:
1. Cook the campanelle for 5-7 minutes in a pot of heavily salted water until al dente, or just cooked through with a bit of bite left. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water, and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, cook the Italian chicken sausage in a large skillet over medium-high until no longer pink, breaking into bite-sized pieces with a spoon. Add in cooked pasta, lemon juice and zest, along with the butter, tossing to combine. Add in the roasted broccolini. Taste for seasoning and then add a little of the reserved pasta cooking water or chicken stock if pasta mixture seems dry. To serve, sprinkle with fresh parsley and additional grated Grana cheese.
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