Baked stuffed artichokes are an easy and very tasty side dish, perfect for both lunch and dinner. The vegetarian filling I’ve chosen for the artichokes is very simple, made with few ingredients yet making them very appetizing. Artichokes are in season now, so let’s take advantage of it and cook them in many different ways: in a frittata, as a bruschetta topping, in risottos, in lasagnas etc. Artichokes can be stuffed in various ways, even with meat, rice, and so on, depending on tastes and occasions.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients
- 4 globe artichokes
- 4 slices stale country bread or sandwich bread (also gluten-free)
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt and pepper
- 1 whole egg
- 1 tbsp grated table cheese
- to taste parsley
- 1 tbsp milk (also lactose-free)
Preparation
Clean the artichokes and remove the tip and tough leaves. Gently open the leaves with your hands to form a sort of flower. With the help of a teaspoon, remove any inner choke from the artichokes.
The next step is to put the crumbled bread or sandwich bread, salt, pepper, grated table cheese, a few parsley leaves, and olive oil into a blender. Coarsely chop the ingredients without turning them into powder.
Preheat the oven to 392°F (200°C),
In a bowl, beat the egg with the tablespoon of milk and pour it into the bread mixture (if you don’t like it or want to make the preparation lighter, you can omit the egg, substituting it, if desired, with the puree of a small boiled potato; the final taste will not be affected). Adjust seasoning with salt and fill the artichokes with the help of a teaspoon, ensuring the mixture is distributed both in the center and inside the surrounding leaves.
Bake the artichokes in the middle of the oven and cook for about 30 minutes (depending on your oven). Baked stuffed artichokes are ready to be enjoyed with their delicious and aromatic, crispy crust.
