Lemon Artichoke Pasta
Light, delicious, and super nutritious, this dish will become a quick-to-make favorite for weeknights, and dressed up a little, an unusually flavorful entrée when company comes to visit. Starting with prepared artichoke hearts saves time, and makes it a year-round dish for any locale, but if you’ve got fresh artichokes available, feel free to substitute.
Course Main Course, Main Dish
Cuisine Mediterranean
- 4 cups uncooked pasta your choice
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 14 ounces artichoke hearts canned or frozen
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 1 cup feta crumbled
- 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 3/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1 large lemon zest & juice
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
If you are using canned artichoke hearts, drain them thoroughly, and rinse if they are packed in oil. Thaw frozen artichoke hearts. In both cases, cut them into quarters.
Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted water until al dente. When it’s just the right consistency, drain, but reserve 1 cup of the pasta broth. Add the pasta back to the pot.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over a medium-high setting. Add the garlic and cook 1 or 2 minutes until fragrant.
Add the artichoke hearts, and saute for 2 or 3 minutes, until heated all the way through and starting to brown slightly. Add the parley and capers for the last minute.
Transfer the artichokes, parsley, capers and garlic to the pot with the pasta, and add the feta, lemon juice and zest, and salt and pepper. Pour in the pasta water and toss to thoroughly coat. You can heat/keep warm at a low setting, but avoid cooking the pasta any more.
Serve sprinkled with Parmesan.