Equipment
Ingredients
Produce
- 300 g baby artichokes, tough outer leaves removed, halved or quartered
- 300 g new potatoes, halved
- 250 g cremini mushrooms, thickly sliced
- 15 g garlic, minced
- 50 g shallot, finely diced
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 5 g fresh thyme, leaves stripped from stems
- 10 g fresh parsley, finely chopped
Pasta and Liquids
- 400 g dried farfalle
- 45 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 60 ml dry white wine
- 120 ml vegetable broth, warmed
Seasoning and Garnish
- 50 g vegetarian parmesan cheese, finely grated
- salt
- black pepper, freshly cracked
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 721 kcal
- Protein
- 24 g
- Carbohydrates
- 105 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fiber
- 11 g
- Sugar
- 6 g
- Sodium
- 374 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 8 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 11 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 25 mg
- Potassium
- 1249 mg
- Calcium
- 246 mg
- Iron
- 5.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 135 mg
- Phosphorus
- 480 mg
- Zinc
- 3.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 96 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 34 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 2.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 61 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 1.04 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.83 mg
- Niacin
- 10.6 mg
- Folate
- 315 mcg
- Water
- 204 g
- Alcohol
- 2 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Prepare the baby artichokes by snapping off the dark green, tough outer leaves until you reach the pale yellow core. Use a chef's knife to cut off the top third of the leaves, trim the stem, and cut into quarters. Keep them in a bowl of lemon water until ready to use to prevent oxidation.
Bring heavily salted water to a rolling boil at 100°C/212°F in a large pot. Add the halved new potatoes and cook until just fork-tender, about 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the potatoes to a plate.
Return the same potato water to a boil and add the dried farfalle. Cook according to the package directions until al dente. Reserve at least 120ml of the starchy pasta water before draining the farfalle in a colander.
While the pasta cooks, heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced cremini mushrooms in an even layer and sear undisturbed until a deep brown crust forms, about 5 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the butter, drained baby artichokes, diced shallot, minced garlic, and fresh thyme to the skillet. Saute, stirring frequently, until the shallots are translucent and the artichokes are tender, about 6 minutes.
Pour the dry white wine into the skillet to deglaze, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned fond from the bottom of the pan. Simmer until the wine has almost completely evaporated, leaving a concentrated glaze.
Pour the vegetable broth into the skillet along with the cooked potatoes, drained farfalle, lemon juice, and half of the reserved pasta water. Toss vigorously to combine, cooking for 1 to 2 minutes until a silky sauce forms that coats the pasta. Add more pasta water if the mixture seems dry.
Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the lemon zest, freshly cracked black pepper, chopped parsley, and a generous pinch of salt. Top with grated vegetarian parmesan cheese and serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Unlike mature globe artichokes, true baby artichokes lack the fuzzy interior choke, meaning you can eat the entire heart once the fibrous outer leaves are thoroughly removed.
- Searing the mushrooms undisturbed is critical; constantly agitating them in the pan will cause them to release their liquid too quickly and steam rather than developing a savory, deep brown crust.
- Waxy new potatoes hold their shape perfectly when boiled, providing a satisfying textural contrast to the soft pasta without dissolving into the surrounding sauce.
- Reserving and utilizing starchy pasta cooking water is the fundamental secret to creating an emulsified, restaurant-quality cohesive sauce without relying on heavy cream.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container.
Reheating: Reheat gently in a skillet over low heat, adding a splash of vegetable broth or water to revive the emulsion.
Troubleshooting
Artichokes are tough and stringy to chew
Cause: The tough, dark green outer leaves were not peeled back far enough during preparation
Fix: Cannot be fixed once cooked
Prevention: Aggressively snap off outer leaves until only the pale yellow and light green inner cone remains, yielding the tender heart
Sauce is watery and pools at the bottom of the bowl
Cause: Pasta water and fats did not properly emulsify, or not enough agitation was applied during the final toss
Fix: Return to medium heat, add a small splash of pasta water and a knob of cold butter, and toss vigorously for 30 seconds
Prevention: Toss the pasta vigorously with the starchy water and fats over medium heat to create an emulsion
Cultural Context
This dish draws heavy inspiration from the rustic, vegetable-forward pasta traditions of Italian spring cooking, particularly from regions like Liguria and Campania. The pairing of hearty starches like potatoes with pasta is a classic Italian peasant technique known as pasta e patate, originally designed to stretch expensive ingredients and provide sustaining energy for laborers. By incorporating seasonal baby artichokes and earthy mushrooms, the dish transforms humble pantry staples into a vibrant celebration of the spring harvest.
