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.