Cardoons with bechamel sauce, a side dish that my grandma Lina always prepared during the Christmas period (preparing them is a bit like feeling her hug again!), delicious with a crispy crust and a soft, tasty inside. Cardoons or thistles because they are very similar, so whether you use one or the other the recipe is the same even in execution, cardoons with bechamel sauce are too delicious, it takes a little time between cleaning and preparing them and the double cooking, but I assure you it’s worth it! In the recipe, I will also explain how to clean them perfectly.
And if you love grandma’s recipes, try also:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 3
- Cooking methods: Electric Oven, Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter
Ingredients for Cardoons with Bechamel Sauce
- 20 oz cardoons (or thistles weighed after cleaning)
- 2 cups bechamel sauce
- 5 tbsps cheese (grated)
- 2 tbsps breadcrumbs
- 3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- to taste fine salt
- to taste pepper
- to taste water
- 1/2 lemon
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
Tools Needed for Preparing Cardoons with Bechamel Sauce
- Bowl
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- Spoon
- Wooden Spoon
- Pot
- Baking Tray
This post contains affiliate links including a set of baking trays perfect as a gift idea for Christmas.
Preparation of Cardoons with Bechamel Sauce
Start by cleaning the cardoons (or thistles): cut off the initial part (about 0.8 inches) and the base, then cut each cardoon stalk into at least 3 pieces, using the paring knife remove all the filaments and the membrane on the inside and as you clean them throw them into a bowl with plenty of water and vinegar.
Once you have cleaned all the cardoons and they have soaked in water and vinegar (this is to prevent them from turning brown), drain them, rinse them under running water, drain them again, and put them in a large pot, fill with water to cover them, salt, stir and bring to a boil over high heat; once it boils, cook for 30/35 minutes.
Once boiled, drain them and put them in a clean bowl and proceed to the final preparation.
Put a tablespoon of bechamel sauce on the bottom of the baking dish and spread it, make a layer of boiled cardoons, salt, pepper, pour more bechamel sauce (make sure to save some for the top), and spread it, add grated cheese and a drizzle of oil, continue this way with 2 more layers (depending on the size of the dish you will get more or fewer layers), on the last layer pour the remaining bechamel sauce and cheese with the breadcrumbs, mix well and spread over the entire surface, drizzle with a little oil, a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper.
Preheat the oven to 482°F and when it is very hot, bake the cardoons with bechamel sauce, cook for 40/45 minutes, at the end of cooking it should have a delicious, well-browned crust on top, once cooked remove from the oven, let them cool slightly and serve them, you will taste how delicious they are, creamy inside and with a crunchy crust outside! Enjoy your meal!
