If you’ve ever enjoyed stuffed artichokes at an Italian restaurant, you are familiar with this crunchy, fun to eat dish.
Tender, soft artichokes are hollowed out and stuffed to the brim with a filling of breadcrumbs, Parmigiano Reggiano, garlic, and herbs.
We’re updating this classic by adding sweet, chewy sun dried tomatoes, a perfect pairing to the otherwise traditional filling.
Continue below for our best tips and tricks to trim, cook, and bake stuffed artichokes successfully every single time.
Ingredients For Stuffed Artichokes
- Globe artichokes, whole
- Shallots
- Garlic
- Fine herbs, such as thyme, chives, parsley, or oregano
- Lemon
- Sun dried tomatoes, julienned
- Breadcrumbs
- Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Flaky sea salt
How To Cook Artichokes
Boil them!
Boiling artichokes is the easiest way to remove the choke. First, trim back the outer discolored leaves, then use a serrated knife to cut off the top of each artichoke. Boil them in water with lemon and kosher salt for about 20 minutes.
Set aside until cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes.
Next, slice each artichoke in half, right through the stem. Using a spoon, scoop out each choke, then discard.
Make The Filling
In a large bowl, combine sautéed shallots, garlic, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, chopped sun dried tomatoes, fresh herbs, lemon zest, salt, and pepper.
Drizzle with olive oil (pro tip: use the reserved olive oil from the sun dried tomatoes!), then toss to combine and thoroughly coat all ingredients. A seriously easy filling for Italian stuffed artichokes!
How To Stuff Artichokes
Alright! You’ve boiled the artichokes, removed the choke, and made the filling. You’re now ready to stuff and bake them!
Place a piece of parchment paper on a rimmed baking sheet. Arrange the cleaned, boiled artichokes on top.
Next, use a spoon to help stuff the artichokes, beginning with the outer leaves and filling them generously. It’s easier to fill the scooped out center of each artichoke last.
Use as much of the filling as you like. The quantity you use will be dependent on the size of the artichokes. Leftover filling is delicious when mixed with pasta or roasted vegetables!
You can use fresh breadcrumbs or traditional breadcrumbs, but we do not recommend substituting with panko for this recipe.
Bake Until Golden Brown
Drizzle stuffed artichokes with a bit of olive oil (or even additional oil from the sun dried tomatoes!), then bake at 400F for 15 minutes.
The artichokes are already soft and tender, they just need to cook long enough to make sure the filling is golden brown and crispy.
Tips For The Best Stuffed Artichokes
It all begins with choosing the right artichoke. Artichokes are in season two times a year: during the spring (March and April) and then again in the fall (October and November). Select an artichoke that is completely closed with the leaves pulling in towards the center, not flayed open.
An artichoke that is fresh should feel heavy, not light, and the leaves should squeak a little when you give a gentle squeeze. Follow these tips and you’re likely to get a tender artichoke instead of one that is dried out.
How To Eat
Eating artichokes can be tricky if you don’t have a little insider knowledge. First, you should note that you only eat the pulp from the petals. That’s right, you do not physically eat the entire leave! Also, no forks! This is finger food at its finest.
When you pull up on the stuffed artichoke leaves, you’ll lift away some of the crunchy breadcrumb filling. Place the entire bottom half of the leaf (and the filling) in your mouth, then use your teeth to pull the pulp and filling off the leaf. Discard the rest of the leaf. (Best to have a little bowl on standby for guests to place the remnants.)
Total comfort food! Stuffed artichokes require a little effort, but they’re a totally fun dish to serve family style at your next intimate gathering!
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For more holiday appetizers, check out the following:
- Marinated feta
- Maitake mushrooms with ‘nduja
- Baked brie phyllo cups
- Cranberry walnut crostini with ricotta, butternut squash, and balsamic
- Fried goat cheese balls
Stuffed Artichokes Recipe
Ingredients
- 4-5 globe artichokes
- 2 medium shallots minced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups traditional breadcrumbs
- ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano grated
- ¼ cup California Sun Dry tomatoes finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp fine herbs such as thyme, chives, parsley, oregano, or rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 lemon zested
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- extra virgin olive oil
- Flaky sea salt for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 Tbsp kosher salt and the zested lemon, cut in half and squeezed. Place whole, trimmed artichokes in the pot, then cook at a rapid boil for 20 minutes. Use tongs to carefully transfer artichokes to a plate. Cool until able to handle.
- Meanwhile, make the filling. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add minced shallot then cook, stirring often, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add garlic, stir to combine and heat through, about 30 seconds, then remove from the heat.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine shallots, breadcrumbs, Parmigiano Reggiano, sun dried tomatoes, finely chopped herbs, lemon zest, 1 tsp Kosher salt, and ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper. Add 2 Tbsp reserved oil from sun dried tomatoes or extra virgin olive oil, then stir to thoroughly mix the filling.
- Use a sharp knife to cut each artichoke in half from top to bottom, cutting straight through the stem. Remove the choke in the center of each artichoke by using a spoon to scoop it out fully, then discard.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the cleaned, boiled artichokes on top. Use a spoon to help stuff the artichokes, beginning with the outer leaves and filling them generously. It's easier to fill the scooped out center of the artichoke last.
- Drizzle each stuffed artichoke with a little extra virgin olive oil, then bake for 15 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are golden brown. Sprinkle with some flaky sea salt just before serving.
Notes
- You can use fresh breadcrumbs or traditional breadcrumbs, but we do not recommend substituting with panko for this recipe.
- Use as much of the filling as you like. The quantity you use will be dependent on the size of the artichokes. Leftover filling is delicious when mixed with pasta or roasted vegetables!
Let us know your thoughts!