These Italian Stuffed Artichokes with lemon, mint, and parmesan have perfectly tender hearts, stems, and sumptuous petals. Whether you love Artichokes or have never tried them before this is the perfect recipe for you. Follow the instructions below to learn How to Cook Artichokes Perfectly every time.
I often wonder who was it that found the wild ancestor of the globe artichoke and thought, I can do something with this. It turns out reference to artichokes can be found as far back as the 8th century B.C. I would guess necessity is the mother of invention when it comes to serving artichokes, and what follows is good cuisine.
Check out this great article from National Geographic that details the appearance of artichokes and cardoon in the ancient world.
Make this recipe, because…
This Italian Stuffed Artichoke recipe gives you the basics of choosing, cleaning, and steaming artichokes.
This foolproof cooking method will get you perfect tender artichokes petals and hearts everytime. Leaving two inches of peeled stem ensures more to eat and a beautiful presentation.
Mint, Lemon, and Parmesan stuffing lifts the earthy flavor of the artichoke meat and makes for a delicious and beautiful side dish or appetizer.
Ingredients
Minced Mint is the perfect compliment to earthy artichokes. The sweetness is a nice surprise and a little known secret for perfectly flavored artichoke dishes.
Instructions
Step 1
- Start by cleaning the artichokes. Give them a good rinse, then trim the stem leaving about 2 inches.
- Remove some of the small inedible petals around the outside and attached to the stem.
- Peel the outside of the stem away to expose the tender insides. Finally, cut away the very top of the artichoke to expose the inner petals.
Step 2
- Place artichokes in a large pot with enough water to cover half of the artichoke. Then, add 3-4 tablespoons of salt, and a drizzle of olive oil to the water for seasoning.
- Bring the water to a boil. Then, turn it down to a simmer and cover.
- Steam the artichokes for 40-45 minutes.
Step 3
Next, make the filling by melting 3 tablespoons of butter in a microwaves safe bowl. Add bread crumb, grated Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and minced fresh mint to the butter and use a fork to stir together. You should have a mixture with a nice crumbly texture.
Step 4
- Remove cooked artichokes from the pot and pat away excess water.
- Then, carefully cut the artichoke in half long ways exposing the heart and choke. The choke is the fuzzy hair like material right above the heart at the center of the artichoke.
- Use a paring knife or a spoon and scrape the choke out completely. I also remove some of the smaller petals from the center as they tend to have rough tips and aren't pleasant to eat.
Step 5
- Lay the cooked and cleaned artichokes out on a lined sheet pan and gently pull the layers of petals and sprinkle the filling through the artichoke and fill the centers near the heart.
- Once all of the artichokes have been stuffed, place them under a low broiler for 4 minutes or until the butter and cheese has browned.
FAQs
Fun fact! All of the artichokes grown in the United States are grown in sunny California. ⅔rds of the U.S. crop is grown in Monterey county.
Make sure you choose a heavy globe with dark green leaves that are tight and well hydrated. If the outer leaves have started to dry out, the heart and leaves are likely tough and have lost flavor.
Artichokes are available year round in the United States, but prime season is spring to early summer.
Start with the outer petals. Pull off a petal one at a time and scrape the meats with your teeth to remove from the petal. Eat all of the larger petals this way. There will be some smaller petals at the center that don’t have any meat on them. Discard the small petals with the choke. The choke is the fuzzy stuff at the center of the globe. The dense pulp beneath the choke is the heart. This is the most substantial part of the plant and also the most delicious. You can and should eat the whole heart. The stems are edible as well if they are peeled and well cooked.
Expert Tips
To see if the artichoke is fully cooked, poke a paring knife gently into the base of the globe. If the knife goes in easily, then they are fully cooked to the center of the plant.
Remove the fuzzy choke and the thin immature leaves at the center of the plant as well. There is little to no meat on those petals.
Most of my fond childhood memories revolve around the food I was looking forward to. I don't if it is just an Italian thing, but I know Italian families mark the calendar by what food is being served.
My grandparents grew up in the Gilroy area and would make special trips “over the hill” to get produce. Any time they went that direction, they detoured to Watsonville to get fresh artichokes. Those trips always meant dinner at their house and being treated to the most amazing artichokes.
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Italian Stuffed Artichokes with Lemon Mint and Parmesan
Ingredients
- 4 Globe Artichokes
- 3 Tablespoons Butter
- ½ Cup Plain Bread Crumb
- ½ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice Juice of ½ Lemon
- 1 Teaspoon Fresh Mint
- Salt For the water used to steam the Artichokes
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil For the water used to steam the Artichokes
Instructions
- Start by cleaning the artichokes. Give them a good rinse, then trim the stem leaving about 2 inches.
- Remove some of the small inedible petals around the outside and attached to the stem.
- Peel the outside of the stem away to expose the tender insides. Finally, cut away the very top of the artichoke to expose the inner petals.
- Place artichokes in a large pot with enough water to cover half of the artichoke. Then, add 3-4 tablespoons of salt, and a drizzle of olive oil to the water for seasoning.
- Bring the water to a boil. Then, turn it down to a simmer and cover.
- Steam the artichokes for 40-45 minutes.
- Next, make the filling by melting 3 tablespoons of butter in a microwaves safe bowl. Add bread crumb, grated Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and minced fresh mint to the butter and use a fork to stir together. You should have a mixture with a nice crumbly texture.
- Remove cooked artichokes from the pot and pat away excess water.
- Then, carefully cut the artichoke in half long ways exposing the heart and choke. The choke is the fuzzy hair like material right above the heart at the center of the artichoke.
- Use a paring knife or a spoon and scrape the choke out completely. I also remove some of the smaller petals from the center as they tend to have rough tips and aren't pleasant to eat.
- Lay the cooked and cleaned artichokes out on a lined sheet pan and gently pull the layers of petals and sprinkle the filling through the artichoke and fill the centers near the heart.
- Once all of the artichokes have been stuffed, place them under a low broiler for 4 minutes or until the butter and cheese has browned.
Notes
- To see if the artichoke is fully cooked, poke a paring knife gently into the base of the globe. If the knife goes in easily, then they are fully cooked to the center of the plant.
- Remove the fuzzy choke and the thin immature leaves at the center of the plant as well. There is little to no meat on those petals.
Nutrition
Try some more of my favorite Italian Recipes!
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I never know what to do with artichokes so this is such a perfect recipe! YUM! I love anything with parmesan.
This looks incredible. Artichokes is one of my favorite things to make! Great recipe.
Fabulous insights on how to make artichokes the right way. And a wonderful way to bring out the flavor to its best! Yum.
This is a great recipe featuring artichokes. The flavors really highlight this incredible vegetable.
What a fantastic looking dish! Food Network better take notice! Looking forward to making these this weekend!