Orecchiette With Artichokes Recipes

ONE-PAN ORECCHIETTE WITH CHICKPEAS AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Combine pasta, chickpeas, olives, tomato paste, garlic, rosemary, oil, pepper flakes, and 5 cups water in a large straight-sided skillet. Season generously with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente and liquid is reduced to a sauce that coats pasta, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Remove skillet from heat, discard rosemary, and stir in cheese. Add more water, a few tablespoons at a time, to thin sauce if necessary. Divide pasta and arugula among bowls and serve immediately, drizzled with oil and sprinkled with cheese and pepper flakes.

ORECCHIETTE WITH ARTICHOKES AND BACON

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Once it is boiling, plop in the orecchiette and cook until al dente.
• Clean and prepare the artichokes as detailed on page 18. Then cut all of the artichokes into 1/2-inch-thick slices, and leave in the water while you start the sauce.
• Put the bacon, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and the crushed garlic in a large straight-sided skillet over medium heat. Cook the bacon until most of the fat has rendered, about 5 minutes. Drain the artichokes, pat dry, and add to the skillet along with the juice of the remaining lemon. Season with the salt and peperoncino. Cover, and let the artichokes cook gently until they begin to soften and caramelize, about 10 minutes. Uncover, and add about 1 cup pasta water, then bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the artichokes are tender, about 10 minutes more.
• When the pasta is al dente, scoop it out of the water and add to the sauce. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and add the chopped parsley. Cook, tossing to coat the pasta with the sauce. Remove from heat, sprinkle with the grated Pecorino Romano, and toss. Serve.

ORECCHIETTE PASTA SALAD WITH ARTICHOKES AND GRILLED VEGGIES

Steps:

• Thinly slice the onion, red pepper, zucchini and mushrooms. Heat olive oiI in a large saute pan -- add onions, cooking until softened, then add garlic, red pepper, mushrooms and zucchini -- continue to cook until lightly coloured.
• Drain and quarter the artichoke hearts.
• Stir the grilled veggies and the remaining ingredients (except tomatoes and additional dressing) into the cold cooked pasta -- mix well.
• Place into a container with a lid and refrigerate at least 3 hours.
• When ready to serve, refresh with additional 1/4 cup of salad dressing and garnish with quartered cherry tomatoes.
• Notes:
• The salad dressing is the most recognizable flavour so make sure you're confident with the taste -- you can make your own with a light tasting olive oil, lemon juice (or white balsamic), dijon mustard and your choice of herbs, but I find Kraft's Classic Herb is perfect for pasta salads.
• As I cook with cheeses so frequently, I stock my fridge/freezer with one-cup baggies filled with a blend of shredded imported Italian white cheeses (asiago, provolone, pecorino romano and parmegiana reggiano). You can easily substitute crumbled feta, but it will completely change the flavour. Also, as these cheeses are quite salty, I rarely add table salt to my recipes.

ORECCHIETTE WITH MUSHROOMS & ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package instructions.
• While pasta is cooking, heat oil in saute pan.
• Saute garlic and peppers for 2 minutes.
• Stir in mushrooms and cook until tender.
• Add artichoke hearts and parsley and cook until heated through.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Spoon vegetable mixture over drained pasta and toss.
• Spoon onto platter and sprinkle with cheese and nuts.
• Serve with meat of your choice, warm bread or rolls and a simple salad of tomatoes with onions or make it a "meatless" meal.

ORECCHIETTE WITH BRAISED ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Clean the artichokes as described for fully edible artichokes, page 15, putting the pieces in water acidulated with the lemon juice as you go. When all the artichokes are cleaned, drain them thoroughly and slice them very thin.
• Bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil in an 8-quart pot over high heat.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Scatter the garlic over the oil and cook, shaking the pan, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add the artichokes and crushed red pepper and season lightly with salt. Stir well to coat the artichokes with oil, and cook, stirring often, until the artichokes are softened, 5 to 10 minutes. Pour in 1 cup of the chicken stock, add the mint and parsley, and lower the heat so the sauce is at a lively simmer. Cook until the artichokes are very tender and the liquid is reduced by about half, about 10 minutes more. Add the remaining stock as necessary to keep the artichokes moist as they cook.
• Stir the orecchiette into the boiling water. Return to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook the pasta, semi-covered, stirring occasionally, until done, 8 to 10 minutes.
• If the skillet is large enough to accommodate the sauce and pasta, fish the pasta out of the boiling water with a large wire skimmer and drop it directly into the sauce in the skillet. If not, drain the pasta, return it to the pot, and pour in the sauce. Bring the sauce and pasta to a boil, stirring to coat the pasta with sauce. Check the seasoning, adding salt if necessary. Pour in a drizzle of olive oil, if you like. Remove the skillet from the heat, sprinkle the grated cheese over the pasta, and toss to mix. Serve immediately in warm bowls.