Stuffed Artichokes with Italian Breadcrumbs

Classic, Italian stuffed artichokes.


I’ve been wanting to share this recipe with you.

For a really long time.

But I’ve always struggled with whether or not I should.

Mostly because, I try to keep this space full of creative clean recipes, and these Italian stuffed artichokes are full of cheese and {gluten-free} breadcrumbs and indulgent goodness. But I totally eat these.

And as a wellness blogger and {former} health coach I think it’s important for me to be transparent about my food choices. Because surrounding ourselves with an overload of food rules is exhausting. I think it’s a good thing to worry a little less about what’s healthy or unhealthy and just eat good food that soothes your soul.

And also, I felt like I needed to protect this recipe. It’s a sacred one to me. And it has come to represent everything I know about nourishing and caring for others through food. Almost everything I know about cooking and preparing food was learned from my mother and grandmother and aunts.

From as early as I can remember, I have loved cooking. Working in the kitchen has always felt super natural to me. One of my earliest cooking memories is in the kitchen, wobbling on a chair, wearing an apron far too big for my tiny frame, learning how to make stuffed artichokes. I don’t remember following any recipe, we cooked with our hearts and tasted as we went along. To this day, I still don’t follow a recipe when I make these. But, I’ve gotten some measurements together for all of you.

Artichokes can definitely be intimidating. But once you get to know them there is so much to love. They’re a fairly dirty vegetable. I like to give mine a good soak in a lemon water bath prior to preparing them. This will help loosen any trapped in dirt and/or bugs.

This recipe has also been shared on Food52’s Heirloom column.

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Stuffed Artichokes with Italian Breadcrumbs

MACROS {SEE NOTES}: 9 grams net carbs, 30 grams of fat, 10 grams of fiber, 14 grams of protein

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 4 medium artichokes
• 2 lemons
• 1 cup plain breadcrumbs {see notes}
• 1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
• sea salt to taste
• black pepper to taste
• olive oil for drizzling

Instructions

• To prepare the artichokes, cut about an inch off the top. Then with kitchen shears snip off the points of each leaf. Cut the stem off so the artichoke can stand on its own. Fill a large bowl with room temperature water, squeeze in the lemon juice and toss the lemons into the bowl. Add the artichokes and submerge them in the water and soak while you prepare your stuffing mixture.
• In a separate bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, cheese, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper.
• Take the artichokes out of the water bath and pat them dry.
• Stuff each leaf with a spoonful of the breadcrumb mixture, and drizzle each artichoke with olive oil.
• Place the artichokes inside and fill the pot with about 1 inch of water. Cover and simmer for about 30 - 40 minutes. Every 5 - 10 minutes check the level of the water adding in more as needed. You do not want too much water or the breadcrumbs will be too soggy. And you do not want too little water or the artichokes could burn. 
• The artichokes will be done when you can easily remove a leaf and its meat is very tender. 

Notes

You can use any kind of breadcrumbs, gluten-free or not. To make this keto-friendly use fine almond flour in place of the breadcrumbs. I have noted the MACROS in the description above for the keto-friendly option.