Roasted Baby Artichokes with Garlic and Parmigiano Shavings
“Make these in the spring, when new-crop baby artichokes are available. Look for ones that are no longer than 1 ½ inch. Their sweet flavor takes on a nutty edge when roasted. Good alone, these chokes are also nice with pork or chicken. Leftovers can be added to pasta or white beans,” says Sasha Muniak, founder of Mangia.
1 ½ to 2 pounds whole baby artichokes
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 or 3 garlic cloves
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese shavings
½ cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Trim the artichokes by removing the tough outer leaves to expose the more tender pale green leaves underneath. With a paring knife, trim around the stems and cut off the ends of the stems and the tops of the leaves. Put in a bowl of water with 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice.
Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Meanwhile, mince the garlic.
Drop the trimmed artichokes into the boiling water and cook for about 5 minutes to soften. Drain. When cool enough to handle, cut each artichoke in half through the core. In a large bowl, combine the artichokes with the minced garlic, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.
Place the artichokes on a baking pan and roast until they are crisp and brown on the outside and cooked through about 15 minutes.
Let the artichokes cool; then toss them with the Parmigiano shavings, remaining 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and the chopped parsley.
Prepping in advance: The artichokes can be cooked early on the day of serving. Toss with olive oil just to coat, cover, and refrigerate. Remove 1 hour before serving and add the cheese, lemon juice, and parsley.
