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| Don't be fooled, I bought them already prepared! |
Ingredients
Serves 2
1 small jar of artichoke hearts, drained
¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
½ lemon, grated zest and juiced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2-3 Tbsp olive oil (personal taste)
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper (I use Szechuan pepper)
Optional: mushroom and spring onion
120 gm bucatini (or spaghetti) or enough for two
Splash of reserved pasta water or hot water
To serve
Chopped parsley
Grated parmesan
Optional: Crispy bacon
Method
* Bring a pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Cook the pasta, reserve some of the starchy water.
* Place the drained artichokes, cheese, lemon zest and juice, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper in a food processor. Blend until combined *Note.
* Season to taste
* Add a little oil to a pan and gently sauté the onion and mushroom, if using
* Drain the pasta and place it back in the hot pan and immediately pour the artichoke sauce over and toss to combine. Add a few Tbsp of the pasta water to bring it all together.
Serve sprinkled with more parmesan cheese and parsley – and bacon crumbles if using. Serve immediately!
Chook’s note: I used artichokes marinated in oil and used just a little of the oil in the sauce.
Try chopping a rasher of bacon and cooking till very crisp. This is totally optional but does add a bit more texture and flavour.
*Note: The sauce can be blended until creamy or, as I prefer, left a wee bit chunky. All a matter of personal preference.
I used pasta that I had already cooked and in the freezer. It’s such an easy option and the good thing is that the starch in pre-cooked cooled pasta is converted into ‘resistant starch’ which increases the food's fibre-like properties, resulting in a lower glycemic response, better gut health, fewer absorbed calories AND it saves time.
This is one of those go to recipes for a lazy night. Just keep a tub of precooked pasta in the freezer along with lemon zest and juice which I normally do. And a block of parmesan cheese in the fridge which I do because it’s my goto cheese for all manner of things. Oh and a jar of artichokes. As a substitute if you don’t have artichokes, you could substitute Chinese broccoli or some other vege. And you have a meal ready to go.
The sauce can be stored in the fridge for 3 to 4 days before using and I daresay it would breeze perfectly well.
You can thank me later!
