Name: Lemony Roasted Artichoke and Olive Pasta
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 28 min
Ingredients: 1 6 to 8 oz jar of drained artichoke hearts, (but feel free to use more if you really like artichokes! (or 175 ml or more) ); 1 tbsp olive oil; 4 tbsp pine nuts or slivered almonds; 10 oz pasta of choice, (I like spaghetti, but if you like bow ties, go for it! (or 285 grams)); 2 medium garlic cloves, (minced); 1/4 tsp chilli flakes, (or more to taste); 1 cup drained castelvetrano olives, (or other mild briny green olive); 4 tbsp room temperature Saffron Butter, (see Notes for recipe link, can use regular butter if so desired. ); 2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, (or more if desired); kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper; 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley; 1 oz shaved Parmesan, (Manchego or Peccorino cheese, about 1/2 cup)

This is a recipe dedicated to the condiment aisle in your local grocery store.

Quite (QUITE) often, I am completely brain dead when it comes to deciding what to make for dinner. I won’t lie, there are times when it is 4pm and I still have no idea. This is when I walk over to the pantry and the jars of condiments and preserved veggies etc and see if any of them spark an idea. Whether it is roasted red peppers, tuna, marinated mushrooms, even pickled onions, or a can of beans, they are just recipes waiting to happen.

This recipe happened when I came across the Artichoke Pasta recipe over at Love and Lemons. She uses fresh artichokes that require quite a bit of prepping. Removing the outer leaves, trimming and cutting, removing the choke, and then finally roasting them. I am quite certain that they taste sublime. I’ve had fresh stuffed roasted artichokes that Italian friends have made for me, and we love them. But when it comes to quick and easy dinner ideas, this one wasn’t going to cut it.

The Joy of Jars

BUT… I did have a couple of jars of artichoke hearts in the cupboard. You can get them brined or marinated and quartered. You can even find some that have already been roasted before they got put in the jar. Either way, all the rough leg work is already done with a jar of artichoke hearts. These are the same hearts that make a pizza next level, or go into a great antipasto platter. So I would take a jar of these babies, and give them a quick roast in the oven to increase their flavour and presence a bit more.

Next ingredient that I knew would work great in this evolving recipe: Castelvetrano Olives. They have the most pleasantly brined presence without being too salty or overpowering. A perfect compliment to the artichokes. I highly suggest that you always have a jar of these green olives in your pantry. They go great in salads, on pizza, on charcuterie boards, etc. They come whole, pitted or sliced.

How to Roast Jarred Artichoke Hearts

It’s soooo easy. Just set your oven to 450F. Drain the artichoke hearts well and then place them onto a baking sheet. Slice them in half, or quartered, if large. Drizzle with a tbsp or so of olive oil per jar. Roast till the edges start to brown nicely, about 15-18 minutes, depending on your oven. Toss once during the baking process. The amount of artichokes you need will depend on how many you are feeding, and how large the jars are. I usually estimate 3 whole artichokes per person, but feel free to use more. This isn’t one of those dishes where too many artichoke hearts or olives will affect the recipe.

The Rest of the Recipe

Pasta. Any type of pasta that you and your family like. We tend to like longer pastas so I usually use spaghetti or linguini for dishes like this. But it will also work fine with penne, bow ties, even rigatoni. This recipe can be kept gluten free, and even low carb if you feel like Zoodles etc.

Have the artichoke hearts roasted and resting. Then when the water has come to a boil, start your pasta, as per the package instructions. At this point you will want to mince some garlic, and have the jar of Saffron Butter out of the fridge, because you made the Harissa Chicken Thighs with Saffron Butter Pasta a few weeks back. If you haven’t made it yet, then you just have to make up a jar of the saffron butter before you make this dish, it’s phenomenal!! It works in so many settings. I used it in my Shellfish and Saffron Butter Pasta dish recipe from a little while back. But if you really don’t want to make up the Saffron Butter, feel free to use plain butter instead. You will also need some freshly squeezed lemon juice, chilli flakes, and chopped parsley. For finishing, you will want some toasted pine nuts (slivered almonds are a great budget alternative) and a nutty cheese, shaved over the finished pasta.

Just before the pasta is ready to be drained, sauté the garlic and chili flakes in a little bit of olive oil. Once softened, add the artichoke hearts and olives. Add 1 tbsp of saffron butter per serving and start to let it melt. Drain the pasta (reserve some of the pasta water) and toss it in with the artichokes and olives. If needed, add a tbsp of the reserved pasta water to help create a lovely sauce. Finish with lemon juice, plenty of pepper, a bit of salt, and heaps of chopped parsley. And the final touch, shaved Manchego or Peccorino or even Parmesan cheese. And toasted pine nuts or almonds.

Seriously, other than the cheese, almost all of these ingredients could already be in your fridge or cupboard. If not, add them to the grocery list! Having a well stocked pantry will save you more times than you can count. And even help you create meals that are totally company worthy! This dish is light and bright, perfect for a summer day. But feel free to make it in January, if you are missing summer!

As you have figured out, this is more of a method than an exact science type of dish. You really can use as much as you want of any ingredient. The basics are a guide. But if you feel like adding more of any ingredient, this dish will still taste amazing. If you wanted to add leftover salmon, shredded chicken, or even pancetta or bacon it would also be fantastic. But as it is, this recipe is vegetarian, and can be gluten free and low carb if you choose an alternative pasta. And even with the roasting of the artichoke hearts, this meal is ready in less than 30 minutes. Of course, make the saffron butter the day before if possible.

For a comprehensive list of what I recommend should be in your pantry and cupboard, please check out my Pantry Staples and Essentials blog post. And then for other budget friendly pantry meals, check out Making the Most of the Pantry: Budget Friendly Recipes

Love Jen