Roasted Artichokes | Diethood (2024)

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Buttery, tender artichokes get a major, caramelized flavor boost! These easy Roasted Artichokes with lemony garlic sauce are a luscious side dish or appetizer that’ll keep you reaching for more.

Easy Fresh Roasted Artichokes Recipe

Artichokes are such a tasty veggie, but a lot of home cooks avoid them because the prep is so unfamiliar. It doesn’t have to be that way! You can easily prep and cook whole, fresh artichokes at home, and this easy recipe will show you how. No need to stick to artichoke hearts in a jar – roasted artichokes, here we come!

Of course, roasting isn’t the only way to cook a whole artichoke. Steaming is popular, too, and so is pressure-cooking. But, a roasted artichoke is so great because it adds a whole dimension of flavor, thanks to the caramelization that happens while they cook. The small amount of plant sugars in the artichokes sizzles and browns in the dry heat of the oven, creating an extra-buttery, bold, rich taste. Dipped in your favorite dipping sauce, roasted artichokes are a wonderful treat.

Ingredients You’ll Need

You’ll only need a few fresh ingredients to roast your own artichokes. This is definitely a dish you can throw together with only a few minutes of prep, and the oven does the rest!

• Fresh Globe Artichokes: Look for artichokes that feel a bit heavy for their size, with nice tight leaves. Avoid artichokes with discoloration and loose leaves.
• Water: For soaking.
• Lemons: You’ll want to squeeze one lemon into the soaking water, and have a couple more for cooking.
• Olive Oil: Extra-virgin is great, but you could also use regular olive oil.
• Salt and Black Pepper: Simple seasoning to enhance the flavors of the dish.
• Garlic: Mince up some fresh garlic, or substitute minced garlic from a jar.
• Dijon Mustard: I love the slight taste of wine in Dijon mustard, but you could definitely use other mustards here as well.
• Fresh Parsley: A couple of teaspoons for the dish, plus more for garnish.

How To Roast Artichokes

There are basically three parts to making this roasted artichokes recipe: prepping the artichokes, roasting them, and then making the lemon-garlic sauce.

1. Prep the Oven and Baking Dish. Before you begin, make sure to preheat your oven to 475˚F, and grease the bottom of a large (9×13) baking dish with olive oil.
2. Trim the Artichokes. Next, prep the artichokes. Cut the stem to about one inch. Cut off the top of the artichoke as well (about ¼ of the artichoke). Break off the bottom three layers of small leaves – they are tough and not really good to eat. If you see any dark green, discolored leaves, break those off, too. Finally, slice the artichokes in half from bottom to top, and scrape out the fuzzy part (the “choke”) with a teaspoon.
3. Soak the Artichokes. Fill a bowl with water, and squeeze the juice of one lemon into it. Place your trimmed artichokes into the lemon water, and let them soak for a few minutes before taking them out.
4. Season and Roast. Place your soaked artichokes into a bowl and toss them with olive oil, some salt, and some pepper. Arrange them in your baking dish, cut-side-down. Cut two lemons in half and put them in the baking dish too, cut-side-up. Cover the dish with foil, and roast for about half an hour. When the artichoke leaves are browned and tender (poke them with a knife, to check), take the dish out of the oven and set it aside.
5. Make the Sauce. Carefully transfer the cooked lemons to a small bowl, and squeeze out as much juice as possible (you can use a spoon or fork for this). Remove the rind and seeds, leaving only the juice. Add the olive oil, garlic, mustard, and parsley to the bowl, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Whisk well, and then taste the sauce. If it needs to be adjusted, go ahead and do that.
6. Finish! Drizzle the sauce over the roasted artichokes, garnish with a bit more parsley, and serve warm.

How To Eat Roasted Artichokes

If you’re looking at an artichoke and wondering, “Yeah, but how do I actually eat that?” you’re not alone! Eating baked artichokes is actually pretty easy – all you have to do is follow these steps:

• Eat the Outer Leaves. Pull off one leaf at a time, and dip the end that you just broke off into your favorite dipping sauce. Pull the leaf through your teeth, so that you scrape the soft, edible underside away from the tough upper side. Discard the tough part.
• Keep Going… Keep doing this as you work your way through the leaves. As you go, the leaves will get softer, and you’ll be able to eat more and discard less of each one. The leaves in the very center can sometimes be eaten whole.
• Eat the Artichoke Heart. When all of the leaves are gone, cut the stem and base of the artichoke into bite-sized pieces. Dip those and eat them whole.

Serving Ideas

Although a dish as special as roasted artichokes is usually served as a stand-alone appetizer, it also makes a luxurious side dish for a larger meal. A hearty, home-cooked main course of wine roasted lamb shanks would be amazing alongside roasted artichokes. The richness of the meat is a great foil for the buttery, fresh veggie.

Try my garlic butter steak bites with mushrooms for a dinner the family will devour! These tender little pieces of juicy steak are just right for serving with artichokes.

Moist, well-seasoned chicken goes with everything – so why not make an easy chicken dinner to go with your roasted artichokes? These juicy stove top chicken thighs would be perfect, as would be this beer can chicken.

Storing and Reheating Instructions

• Store leftover roasted artichokes in an airtight container in the fridge. They will keep for a couple of days.
• Reheat artichokes wrapped in foil, to help keep the moisture in. Place the foil-wrapped artichokes on a baking sheet, and let them bake at 350˚F until heated through.

Can I Freeze These?

• I don’t recommend freezing baked artichokes since the texture and flavor may suffer after freezing and thawing. Instead, it might be better to halve the recipe if you feel it may be too much to enjoy in one meal.

More Savory Veggie Recipes

• Garlic Butter Roasted Parsnips
• Skillet Zucchini and Mushrooms
• Roasted Turnips
• Grilled Eggplant with Garlic Vinaigrette