Artichoke savory pie, grandma’s easy and quick recipe — a delicious Easter appetizer, great for spring picnics and as tasty as the sausage and potato savory pie, which you can find in my collection of artichoke recipes and in my book “La Sicilia è in tavola”.
This year artichokes were scarce in my area due to floods in the Catania plain, frost and heavy volcanic ash fall — the harvests were badly affected and prices skyrocketed.
A few days ago my trusted greengrocer managed to secure a good supply and offered them to customers at prices that, if not cheap, were at least reasonable. Since I hadn’t cooked them for a while, I decided to buy some too. I bought a “fascio di carciofi,” which locally is a unit of the vegetable and includes 25 heads, and proudly took them home.
But then, they had to be cooked, right? I started experimenting and after preparing raw artichokes marinated in lemon with Parmesan flakes, I felt like making a delicious artichoke savory pie. Combining the useful with the pleasurable, I brought my creation to dinner at my in-laws’ house, where it disappeared in no time!
Using two rolls of frozen puff pastry (I freeze it if I don’t use it to avoid spoilage) and a few artichokes, I made a tasty dish that was gone in an instant!
If you’re curious and want my artichoke savory pie recipe, follow me and we’ll make it together. If you’d like to stay updated on all my recipes, follow my Facebook page (here) and my Instagram profile (here). You’ll also find the best artichoke recipes in that collection.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Cooking time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 6 Servings
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 2 rolls puff pastry (round)
- 8 artichokes
- 1 onion (medium)
- to taste Salt
- to taste Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp 00 flour (all-purpose) (scant)
- 1.5 cups Milk
- 3 oz Grana Padano, grated (or Parmesan)
- 3/4 cup cooking cream
- to taste Black pepper
- to taste Milk (or beaten egg for finishing)
Tools
- Bowl
- Pans
- Baking dishes 9.5-10.25 in
- Oven
Preparation of the artichoke savory pie
Clean the artichokes: remove the toughest leaves and the fibrous part of the stem, then cut them to obtain only the hearts. As you work, keep the artichokes soaking in water with lemon to prevent oxidation and browning.
Cut each heart in half, remove the choke (the fuzzy part) and slice thinly.
Sauté a diced onion, add the artichoke slices, season with salt and let them absorb the flavors; finish cooking by adding a little water.
When the vegetables are cooked but still slightly firm, push them to one side of the pan. Add one tablespoon of flour, a little oil, let it toast briefly, then mix everything together. Gradually add the milk and cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens and coats the artichoke hearts in a sauce.
Turn off the heat and let it cool to room temperature.
Roll out one sheet of puff pastry on a baking tray, spread the artichokes evenly, add the grated Grana Padano or Parmesan, the cream and a little black pepper if you like.
Cover with the second sheet of pastry and seal the edges; use the trimmings to create decorations.
Brush the top of the pie with milk and bake at 356°F for 20–30 minutes or until the desired golden color is reached.
Pay attention to the bottom of the pie: if it looks pale, cover the top with foil and continue baking for a few minutes with the tray placed on the lower rack of the oven.
Let the pie cool slightly and serve warm.
You can assemble the pie the day before and keep it in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap until baking time. Before baking, just brush it with milk. If assembling ahead, be sure to add the artichokes only when they are cold.
