Have you ever made oven-roasted artichokes on your own? Don’t let these little guys intimidate you! I guarantee you that your artichokes will turn out perfectly lemony, herby and garlicky with this simple recipe. Find out here how to prepare them on your own at home!
The artichoke-love is real!
Artichokes are amongst the most beautiful vegetables you’ll see at any market in Italy, where they are part of the traditional cuisine. I fell in love with artichokes when I lived in Rome and regularly ordered carciofi alla romana (braised artichoke hearts) or carciofi alla giudia (deep fried artichokes), but was a bit intimidated to make them at home too. It took me years to finally try to prepare a variation of artichokes on my own.
Do not let these little guys intimidate you! Once you know how simple it actually is to prepare them, I promise you they will quickly become your favorite!
How to trim artichokes?
It will take around 15 minutes to trim and prepare the fresh artichokes – here are the steps:
- Cut off the bottom of the stem as well as the top of the artichoke.
- Pluck off the lowest leaves near the stem.
- Remove dark and dry leaves if needed.
- Slice the artichokes in half.
- Use a teaspoon to hollow out the hairy-looking filaments in the middle of each artichoke half.
- Rub each artichoke half on all sides with a lemon wedge. This helps to prevent browning.
How to prepare artichokes?
Once you’ve cleaned and trimmed the fresh artichokes all you’ll need are a few simple ingredients: olive oil, fresh herbs, loads of lemon, fresh garlic, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Then let the magic begin!
- First of all, preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and then start preparing the artichokes.
- Brush each trimmed artichoke half with olive oil. Place them cut-side-up in a baking dish.
- Add fresh garlic and herbs. Fill each half with once clove of garlic and fresh rosemary and/or thyme.
- Season everything with salt and pepper.
- Flip the artichokes over. Brush them or drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
- Drizzle with fresh lemon. Also, add a few lemon wedges to the baking dish.
- ROAST! Leave the artichokes uncovered for about 10-15 minutes to make the edges browned and crispy. Then cover the pan loosely with foil, and put the pan back in the oven for about 30-40 minutes, until the artichokes are tender. You’ll know that they are ready if you can insert a knife smoothly in the base of the stem. (Please note that the cooking time might depend on the size of the artichokes you use!)
- Put the artichokes out of the oven. Discard the herbs and the garlic, drizzle them with fresh lemon juice and season with fresh salt.
How to eat artichokes?
Prepare some artichokes for your first course or a mix of antipasti for a dinner with friends and family. They can be served hot or cold. To eat, simply pull off the outer petals one at a time, dip the base into some olive oil, pull through your teeth to remove the soft, pulpy portion of the petal and discard the rest. The petals inside are much softer and entirely edible, as well as the highlight of each artichoke: the soft heart!
