If you’ve visited Rome in the spring time, you’re probably familiar with this dish. Carciofi alla Romana are artichokes stuffed with garlic and mint before being gently braised in a pan, and they become ubiquitous in the city when the crop is in season – so it comes as no surprise that food and travel writer Maria Pasquale includes a recipe for them in her book The Eternal City: Recipes and Stories from Rome. This recipe is simple to make and was shared by a friend. Pasquale writes:
“Gina Tringali is a successful Italian-American food and travel writer based in Rome, and is co-owner of tour operator Casa Mia Italy Food & Wine. She shared this recipe with me and tells me that when Romanesco or mammole artichokes (similar to the globe variety) are in season, she could eat them every day. This purple and green variety is available in Rome from February to May. Fresh, simple and healthy, carciofi alla Romana are stuffed with garlic and mentuccia (a wild Roman mint, often referred to as lesser calamint), and cooked gently, with their stalks upwards, in water and olive oil until they are fragrant and tender. Gina says the key to this dish is prepping the artichokes well. The tough outer leaves are cut away, leaving a rose-like flower. Remember that artichokes oxidize quickly and can turn brown, so keep them in your lemon water until they are ready to be seasoned.”
Roman-Style Artichokes
Ingredients
- 1 lemon
- 8 Romanesco or globe artichokes
- 1 small bunch wild mint or calamint
- 3 garlic cloves
- 360 ml water or dry white wine
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Fill a bowl with water, squeeze in the juice from the lemon, add the lemon rind and stir.
- Trim the artichokes by cutting off the top quarter of the head and removing the tough outer leaves. Trim the stems, leaving about 2-2¾ (5–7 cm) attached. Trim the outer layer of the stems and remove the centre, using a spoon to scoop out the hairy choke. Once cleaned, immediately place the artichokes in the lemon water to stop them turning brown.
- Finely chop the mint and garlic, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Drain the artichokes well and fill the centre of each artichoke with the mint mixture.
- Stand the artichokes, stem side up, in a heavy-based saucepan wide enough to hold them all in one layer. Pour in the water or wine and drizzle with the olive oil.
- Cover and cook over medium-low heat for about 1 hour, or until tender. Test if the artichokes are ready by pushing a toothpick into the base of the stem.
- Serve warm, or at room temperature.
More recipes from Maria Pasquale
Fried Zucchini Flowers
Roman food tour guide Toni Brancatisano shares her recipe for fried zucchini flowers in Maria Pasquale's book The Eternal City.
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Fried Zucchini
In her book The Eternal City, Maria Pasquale shares her mother's recipe for a traditional Roman snack: beer-battered and deep-fried zucchini sticks.
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Supplì (Roman Rice Balls)
Maria Pasquale's recipe for a classic Roman snack: fried rice balls stuffed with mozzarella cheese.
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