Artichokes Alla Romana (Roman Style), the most delicious way to eat artichokes. Sautéed in olive oil, with fresh mint, garlic and oregano so deliciously tasty. I bet you can’t eat just one!
I think one of the things I truly enjoy about Italy is that there is a season for every vegetable. Now after all these years I know that the summer brings tomatoes, green beans, eggplant and zucchini, the early spring brings us asparagus and artichokes.
Especially Artichokes alla Romana.I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve received a bouquet of wild asparagus from my husband. He who finds wild asparagus growing around our olive trees, around our fences basically anywhere and everywhere.
He always looks so proud when he hands them to me. I guess if I could cook roses or calla lilies I would see more of those.
So these days everywhere you look there are artichokes. Big, small or medium, ready for deep-frying, canning under oil, making a frittata or tossing with some pasta.
How to Clean Artichokes
- Artichokes can darken your hands, so you can either wear gloves or rub your hands with lemon juice.
- Before you start to clean the artichokes, fill a large bowl with cold water, and the juice from one lemon.
- Then remove the tougher outer leaves, until you reach the more tender ones.
- Cut the top, removing about 1 inch or 2-3 cm off the top.
- Cut off the stem and trim to about 2-3 inches, clean with a sharp paring knife by removing the outer tough peel (place clean artichokes and stem in the bowl of water as you go).
- Depending on what you are making with the artichokes, you can remove the choke either by slicing them in half and removing it with a sharp paring knife, or leaving them whole and using either a spoon or knife to remove it.
- As this point you can proceed with the recipe or place the cleaned artichokes in freezer bags and freeze.
More Recipes with Artichokes
- Simple Tasty Artichoke Frittata
- Easy Skillet Artichoke and Spaghetti
- Italian Sausage Artichoke Cheese Pizza
- Italian Fried Artichokes
But as far as I’m concerned and the rest of my family for that matter, this is the absolute best way to eat them. Artichokes alla Romana or Roman Style Artichokes.I had never tasted an artichoke until I arrived in Italy. I remember my Canadian friends explaining to me how delicious they were.
How they cooked them and then pulled leafs off one at a time . And they would scrape the soft portion with their teeth. Well I always thought that was one of the most absurd and not so appetizing methods of eating a vegetable.
And then the day arrived that I ate the most delicious, amazing, tasty vegetable ever planted. Made with fresh chopped mint, olive oil, chopped garlic and oregano.
When the vegetable is young you can cook it whole, when the season starts to pass you just cut them in half, remove the choke and continue with the recipe.
This is the way an artichoke should be cooked and eaten, Artichoke Alla Romana. So start chopping and Buon Appetito!
Artichokes Alla Romana (Roman Style)
Ingredients
- 10 small to medium artichokes stems included cleaned and halved, buy the tenderest artichokes you can find
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint 5 grams
- 2 cloves large of garlic chopped
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano 1 gram
- 3/4 teaspoon salt 3 grams
- 1/4 cup olive oil 55 grams
- 1 cup water 235 grams
Instructions
- In a large bowl squeeze the juice of a lemon. Remove the tough, outer leaves from the artichoke (should be about 3-4 layers of leaves) or until you reach leaves that are pale yellow. Cut in half or leave whole (when you cut it in half , cut out the choke using a knife (it looks almost furry, actually if you get artichokes fresh enough there might not even be a choke). The stem should be cut from the artichoke, leave about 2 – 3 inches and clean, (trim with a knife peeling off the tough outer layer) put cleaned artichoke and stem into bowl of lemon water (this keeps them from turning brown). Repeat with remaining artichokes.
- In a small bowl, mix together mint,garlic,oregano,salt and olive oil, drain artichokes and stems and place in a medium frying pan, cover with oil mixture, add 1 cup of water, mix gently to combine, cover and cook over low to medium heat for approximately 20 minutes or until water has evaporated and artichokes are tender. To die for. Buon appetito!
Traveler says
Is there any way this recipe can be adapted to frozen or canned artichokes? I am a native Californian and love artichokes. But I have never been successful in preparing them any way other than steaming, along the lines of what Valeria complained about re American artichokes. Too tough. But I would love to make this recipe work.
Rosemary says
Hi Traveler, I would make them all the time with frozen (my daughter’s favourite veggie are artichokes) when my daughter was home. If the artichokes are whole then slice them in half (from top to bottom), place them in the pan with a tablespoon or two of olive oil, and drizzle the mint oil mixture over the artichokes (cut side up). I would probably use a little less water 1/2 cup to start with (since the artichokes are frozen if they aren’t cooked once the water has evaporated just add a bit more and continue with the recipe) and continue with the recipe. I don’t think it would work as well with canned. Let me know how it goes.
Valeria says
Hi Rosemary,
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I am a Roman-born who has moved across the Atlantic to the United States and very much misses Roman artichokes!
Unfortunately, there is no place in New York who sells edible artichokes that are not full of “barba” and covered in tough woody leaves 🙁
I have to cut them really thin just so I can chew them. I guess that’s why over here people insist on pulling leaves one by one and scraping the pulp with their teeth – as you mentioned above.
I want to thank you for sharing the absolute best way to make these delicious gifts of nature and for bringing authentic Italian recipes to us in America. So often I find recipes online – supposedly Italian – that really make me scratch my head…
Keep posting!
I’ll def keep on reading 🙂
Rosemary says
Hi Valeria thanks so much your comment makes me love what I do even more. Have a wonderful Sunday.
River Song says
These artichokes look absolutely AMAZING!! I’m sold, even before tasting them! I grew up in a very small coastal town in Northern California, and the local farmers grew fields upon fields of beautiful artichokes that we could buy fresh picked from one of their small farm stands they would set up right on their property. I used to love stopping by one the many stands right off the road on my way home from work and picking up my fresh, really fresh, veggies for dinner at night. Now, I live in Oklahoma (yes, I ALSO followed love!) and while there a many fresh veggies to buy, I very, VERY, RARELY see any good artichokes here. I’m guessing the climate here is too warm to grow them. I believe the cooler coastal climate, with the early evening fog rolling in from the ocean was what made artichokes grow so abundantly there. Does that sound about right in your opinion, or should I just go ahead and try to grow some here in Oklahoma?
Many, many thanks for sharing all of your delicious recipes with us!!!
Rosemary says
Hi River, thanks so much, glad you enjoy the recipes. Well about the artichokes, I just looked to see what kind of weather you get there and it seems to be quite close to weather where I am in Italy, so I would say give it a try. Our plants produce around early April (later than when I can find it in the stores, but of course they are tastier). Let me know how it goes.
Elaine says
This looks simply amazing! We usually get a jar of roasted artichokes in olive oil and add some spaghetti along with Parmesan Reggiano. But this looks like I need to add artichokes to the garden!
Rosemary says
Hi Elaine, thanks so much. Yes artichokes are so good and if you have the space plant a few.:)
Jo March says
What am I missing? The recipe says to cut the artichokes in half but the picture shows the artichokes whole. Shouldn’t the picture have matched the recipe?
Rosemary says
Hi Jo, you can actually do either, leave whole or cut. Just depends on what you prefer.
Jayme says
I love the photos in this post! Artichokes have always intimidated me but I think I’ll have to give this recipe a try!
Rosemary says
Hi Jayme, it is quite easy, and really good, I hope you enjoy it!