I don’t watch a lot of “trash” TV, but I will admit that “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” (and various other sundry cities) is a guilty pleasure of mine. The new season started last night, so to mark the occasion, I made a dish from Teresa Giudice’s second book, Fabulicious. She’s full of herself, talks a lot of smack, and is completely wonky – but hey, what woman on those series of shows honestly isn’t? Surprisingly, the recipes that I’ve tried from her book have been good. A super quick marinara, which I’ve made a couple of times, and will be sharing later this week. And, these stuffed artichokes – which were absolutely delicious. A perfect side dish or light main course for the summer months!
Last weekend I went to see Titanic in 3D with an old friend, the very same friend I saw it with 6 times in the theater. I had to drive 3 hours to get to an IMAX theater (go big or go home – right?), so I took the opportunity to stop by Trader Joe’s on the way home to stock up on pantry staples. Artichokes are in season right now, so I picked up 4 and brought them home. I also picked up one of their artisan red wine salamis – they are so good diced up and topping a Greek salad, or in a pasta salad. Or, in stuffed artichokes.
I followed the recipe, up until the point of cooking method. I decided to bake them, as opposed to cooking them in a dutch oven on the stove top. Some other recipes called for parboiling the artichokes first, but I didn’t bother with that. Just let them bake a little longer. The sauce that forms in the bottom of the baking dish was absolutely delicious. Perfect to scoop up with the artichoke leaves you pull off to eat one by one. Will definitely be making these again, everyone really enjoyed them!
Stuffed Artichokes
4 large artichokes
1 lemon, halved
2 large eggs, beaten
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
4 oz dry Italian sausage or hard salami, diced small
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, shredded
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup marinara sauce
1 cup water
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded (for topping)
Preheat oven to 425. To prep the artichokes, cut off the stems so they sit securely in the baking dish. Trim off and discard 1 inch of leaves from the top of each artichoke. Using kitchen shears, snip off the thorny tips from the remaining leaves. As you work, rub the cut surfaces with the cut side of the lemon half to keep the artichoke from discoloring.
Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add the breadcrumbs, sausage, parsley, Romano cheese, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix well.
Working with one artichoke at a time, using your fingers, pack 1/4 of the filling between the outer layers of the tougher leaves, spreading the leaves as best you can. Press and remaining stuffing over the top of the artichoke. Place into baking dish.
Combine the marinara and 1 cup water, and pour into the bottom of the baking dish. Cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake for 45 minutes, or until the artichokes can be pierced easily with a knife.
Remove from oven, and turn on broiler. Top artichokes with Parmesan cheese, and return to the oven to broil for about 1 minute – until cheese is starting to brown.
Transfer each artichoke and some sauce to a bowl and serve warm.
Source: adapted from Fabulicious! by Teresa Giudice