When it comes to artichokes most people fall into one of two camps: those who know how to eat them and those who don’t. There is a method to eating them after they have been gently cooked – removing the leaves and biting off the sweet “meat” after it has been dipped into butter or sauce.
Even yummier is the heart of the artichoke. It’s a little taste of heaven if cooked right. Personally, I recommend using kosher-certified artichoke hearts or bottoms that come in a jar, can or frozen. Buying them in this form instead of fresh solves three problems:
And guess what? Artichokes are really good for you. They are incredibly rich in fiber. They also have a nice amount of vitamins and minerals like folate, vitamins C and K.
How too cook artichokes?
The canned, jarred or frozen varieties are all ready to eat. You can slice them up and add to salads, put on top of pizza or mix into pasta. The bottoms are particularly amazing when stuffed. So check out all of these artichoke recipes and find your favorites.
In case your wondering, Jerusalem Artichokes, have nothing to do with these artichokes. They are tubers and are more like less starchy potatoes.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 pound dry spaghetti
- 1 (24-ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, (reserve 1/4 cup liquid + 1 cup artichoke hearts)
- 1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 1 (8-ounce) cream cheese brick, softened
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Garnish: shaved Parmesan, kale chips
PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 350°F.
1. Line a spring form pan with parchment paper, allowing edges to hang outside of pan.
2. In a large pot, cook pasta in boiling water for 10 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, mix to combine artichoke hearts (plus liquid), spinach, cream cheese, eggs, and cheeses.
4. Drain spaghetti and add to bowl with artichoke cheese mixture, tossing to coat the pasta completely. Pour in prepared pan, and top with remaining 1 cup artichoke hearts.
5. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until edges are crispy and mixture is set. Allow to cool a bit before removing from pan. Serve warm.
6. Garnish with shaved Parmesan and kale chips.
Enjoy!
