Food for Family and Friends

Fresh artichokes are available in Donostia-San Sebastian from January to March, or later - not the big globe artichokes, but the delicate oval ones you also get in Italy. Once in Verona we saw ladies in the marketplace preparing them at lightning speed, slicing off the tough outside and tossing the hearts into a tup of water with lemon juice. We inherited some plants on the allotment in Leamington, a different type with spiky leaves, hard on the hands to prepare, but with lovely big flat hearts.

Prepare the artichokes by slicing off the tough outside (dark green) of the leaves and stalk, slicing off the tips, cut in half and scoop out any fibrous matter on the heart, then toss them into a bowl of water with lemon juice to stop them darkening. Chop/squeeze the garlic. Meanwhile boil the penne in plenty of salted water until al dente. Put a pan with a lid on the stove and heat up the oil gently, then pat the chokes dry and slice them lengthwise into 5cm wedges, and toss them into the pan. If I'm cooking for just one or two people I skip putting them into water and toss them straight into the pan once prepped. Add the garlic and salt, stir them well, cover and fry till they are browned. Then turn up the heat, pour in the wine, then a bit of the pasta water. Stir well again, lower the heat, cover and cook till all the parts of the chokes are soft (including the bits of stalk, if used) and the liquid has reduced to a nice sauce. Time much depends on how young they were. Make sure they still retain some liquid, add more if necessary. Then add the penne, and stir until well coated. Take off the heat and add the grated parmesan, stir well again, then serve. Great with a lettuce and tomato salad.

Penne with artichokes and parmesan

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