“The first time I had this dish cooked for me, it was by the late, great Antonio Carluccio. It’s testament to Antonio as a great cook that this was the dish that sprang to mind when I found myself in the middle of a field of artichokes – simple Italian flavours done well,” says TV chef James Martin.
“You can use any type of pasta for this. Have a go at preparing fresh artichokes if you haven’t done so before – they taste so good. Pour the olive oil into a large bowl and stir in the garlic and lemon juice.”
Pasta with artichokes, cavolo nero and Parmesan
Equipment
- Large bowl
- Vegetable peeler
- Large saucepan
- Bowl
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 Meyer lemon or an unwaxed lemon, juiced
- 8 small artichokes
- 1 tbsp sea salt
- 500 g fresh ziti pasta or dried penne pasta
- 225 g butter chopped
- 100 g fresh peas
- 100 g cavolo nero shredded
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 50 g Parmesan cheese
Method
- Pour the olive oil into a large bowl and stir in the garlic and lemon juice.
- Prepare the artichokes by cutting the top off each one, about halfway through the middle, then trim the stalk at the base. Take off all the leaves and use a spoon to scrape out the choke (the furry bit). Discard the leaves and the hairy choke. Use a vegetable peeler to strip away the tough outer peel of each artichoke heart. Cut each into quarters lengthways and add to the olive oil mixture. Stir together.
- Bring a large pan of water to the boil, and stir in the salt and pasta. Stir the pasta through the water to loosen the pieces. Cook for two minutes, then drain into a bowl, reserving 120ml of the pasta water. If using dried pasta, cook following the timings on the pack.
- Pour the artichoke and olive oil mixture into the hot pan with the reserved water and the butter and place over a low heat. Heat gently until the butter has melted, then simmer for five minutes.
- Add the warm pasta to the pan with the peas and cavolo nero. Shred the basil leaves into the pan, season and grate over the Parmesan. Stir everything together then spoon into warm bowls and serve.
Nutrition
James Martin’s American Adventure by James Martin, photography by Peter Cassidy, is published by Quadrille.
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