Spaghetti with potatoes and artichokes' cream

• 10 minutes to prepare • 45 minutes to cook • Serves 4

 

 

The most comfort food we may possibly get 

By now you should be aware of my artichoke obsession.
I love eat them, cook them, share them.

As much as I love these green and purple globes, I do realize that they are a pain to prepare. But I still cook up quite a bit, in pasta, with risotto, stewed and even alone, as appetizers.
Since artichoke season usually coincides with Easter, I almost always try to work them into the menu some way. But here it gets tricky. Easter lunch usually involves cooking for a crowd.
And while I love the idea of artichokes for everyone, the idea of prepping more than a half dozen? Not so much.

So I’ve learned over the years to stretch these beauties out, to mix them with other vegetables that require a bit less attention.
And so I present to you the perfect first dish for your Easter: pasta with potatoes and artichokes' cream.
This way you get all the goodness of artichokes going on, with half the trouble!


Here's what you will need for the 4-serving recipe:

 

320 g Spaghetti pasta
40 g breadcrumbs

4 raw artichokes hearts
1 lemon
50 g grated Parmesan cheese
1 potato

40 g pistachios
150 ml milk
1 clove garlic
EVO oil
salt and pepper
fresh basil

 

1. Cut the artichoke hearts into thin slices and sprinkle with lemon juice. Then, soak them in cold water (together with the lemon) and leave them there for at least one hour
2. Boil them in hot salted water for 5 minutes. Drain them and keep aside
3. Preheat oven to 180°C
4. In a blender place breadcrumbs, the clove of garlic - if you like it -, washed basil leaves and pistachios. Add 2 tablespoons of EVO oil and blend until smooth. Finally, add a pinch of salt
5. Lay artichokes on the baking tray covered by baking paper and season them with the pesto
6. Bake the artichokes for about 20 minutes
7. Peel and cut the potato into small cubes. Then, boil them in salted water for 10 minutes. Finally, add spaghetti pasta, too, and drain al dente
8. Meanwhile, place half of the artichokes in the blender, together with grated Parmesan cheese and 1 tablespoon of EVO oil. Gradually add some hot water until you obtain a cream
9. Pan-fry for a few moments the pasta with reamining artichokes and artichokes cream, and stir to mix
10. Serve hot with freshly ground pepper 

Finally, you find below Nutrition Facts of this dish. Data is provided per serving.