Roasted artichoke is easy to prepare and makes a crowd pleasing appetizer. The artichoke is cut in half and roasted to perfection with olive oil, garlic and herbs, making it tender and delicious in every bite.
Artichokes are one of my favorite ingredients to use because they're so versatile. I keep marinated artichoke hearts in my pantry year round and use them in salads, dips, omelette, breakfast muffins, sandwiches and pizza. When in season, fresh artichokes are so fun to cook and serve as a snack or appetizer. I'm going to show you how to roast artichokes using an easy method that works all the time.
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All about artichokes
Artichokes are not only beautiful, but they're also fun to eat. You can find canned and jarred artichoke year round in supermarkets. They are either in water or marinated in olive oil and spices. You can use them in different dishes such as salads, pizza and pasta.
Fresh artichokes are available twice a year: March to June and again September to October. We love roasting them in the oven and serve them as a side dish or a snack. Preparing and cooking artichoke could be a little intimidating if you haven't grown up with them, but using my method, you'll learn it in no time!
Ingredients notes and substitutions
- Artichokes: It's important to select good artichokes when shopping for them. They should be heavy for their size and have a nice bright green color. The leaves are tight closed and the artichoke will squeak if you gently squeeze it. Make sure to buy artichokes that are the same size so they take the same amount of time to roast.
- Lemon: When slicing the artichoke open, you need to rub it with lemon immediately to keep it from browning.
- Herbs and spices: To add more flavor, we are going to use a combination of parsley, dill, Aleppo pepper and salt. If you don't have Aleppo pepper, simply use any other red pepper flakes you have on hand.
How to trim an artichoke
Before you start cooking, you need to clean and trim the artichoke to get rid of the tough leaves. Cut about ¾ inch of the artichoke stem and remove the outer tough leaves as well. Depending on the one you're using, you might need to remove 2 to 4 rows of leaves.
Then grab a pair of kitchen shears and trim all the sharp tips of the remaining leaves. Next, cut about ¾ inch of the top of the artichoke and immediately rub with some lemon. Slice the artichoke in half and rub with lemon again. Now grab a small spoon and remove the hairy choke in the middle. Now the artichoke is ready to be seasoned and roasted.
How to make roasted artichoke
- Prepare the artichoke: Cut about ¾ inch from top and bottom and remove the tough leaves and the sharp tips of the remaining ones. Cut it in half, rub with lemon and remove the fuzzy choke using a small spoon. Place them on a baking sheet.
- Prepare the olive oil mix: In a small bowl mix the olive oil with lemon juice, garlic, parsley, dill weed, Aleppo pepper and salt. Drizzle over the artichokes.
- Roast and serve: Cover with a piece of aluminum foil and roast in the preheated oven at 400 degrees F for 50 minutes until the leaves are tender.
Up your roasted artichoke game
Serve this oven roasted artichoke with a simple shallot balsamic vinaigrette and you'll never look back. The balsamic vinegar adds a nice kick to the creamy velvety artichoke and the parmesan adds just the right amount of saltiness to it.
To make this sauce, mix some balsamic vinegar and dijon mustard with shallots, parmesan, olive oil and a bit of oregano. The mustard acts as a emulsifier and therefore your sauce won't split. You can make this sauce ahead of time if needed.
How to eat roasted artichoke
We got to the fun part - eating the artichoke! You can eat them hot, at room temperature or cold. All you need to do is to pull off the leaves and dip the base, fleshy part in the sauce of your choice. Place the base in your mouth and scrape through your teeth to eat the soft part. Then continue with the remaining leaves.
When you get to the middle part, it's all soft and tender - it's the best part! Dip that in the sauce and enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
They are loaded with nutrients, low in fat and high in fiber. A great source of vitamin C, artichokes are also full of antioxidants.
Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days. You can reheat or serve the leftovers cold.
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Step-by-Step Recipe
Easy Roasted Artichoke Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 large artichokes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- 2 lemons
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ⅓ cup parsley chopped
- 1 teaspoon dill weed
- 1 tsp Aleppo pepper
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Shallot Balsamic vinaigrette
- 3 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
- ½ shallot finely diced
- ⅓ cup parmesan grated
- 2 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut one of the lemons in half.
- Cut about ¾ inch of the stem of the artichokes. remove the outer tough leaves, you may need to remove 3 to 4 rows. The grab your kitchen shears and trim the sharp tips one the leaves.
- Cut about ¾ inch of the top of the artichoke and immediately rub with the lemon half to avoid browning. Using a sharp knife, cut the artichoke in half and rub both halves generously with lemon.
- Using a spoon, remove the hairy choke in the center of the artichoke. Place the artichoke halves on a baking sheet or in a cast iron skillet.
- In a bowl mix the olive oil, juice and zest of one lemon, garlic cloves, parsley, dill, Aleppo pepper and salt and drizzle all over the artichoke.
- Cover tightly with a piece of aluminum foil and roast in the oven for 50 minutes until the leaves are tender and can be removed easily.
- Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette by mixing the balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, shallot, parmesan, olive oil and oregano in a small bowl and set aside.
- When the artichokes are ready, transfer them to a serving platter and serve with the balsamic shallot vinaigrette.
Video
Notes
- If Aleppo pepper isn't available, use any other red pepper flakes.
- You can use fresh dill, oregano, cilantro, basil or chives for different flavors.
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days. You can reheat it in the oven at 300 degrees F for 15 to 25 minutes.
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Love artichokes!