Roman Artichokes, or Carciofi alla Romana are a classic example of simple and flavorful dishes that are a hallmark of Italian cooking. Elevate your artichoke game with this easy-to-follow recipe so you can enjoy this classic Roman dish at home.
Just as I did as a child, I am still making lists of my favorite things as an adult. And one of my favorite things about finding myself in Italy in the winter or springtime is all the artichokes we eat. Even in Italy, where the prices are lower than in the States, I still always think my oh my are they expensive — and then I quickly remember how worth it they are. Just one artichoke cooked Roman style is better than none. Even better: two or three for me please!
Roman artichokes, or carciofi alla Romana are one of the two most celebrated artichoke dishes enjoyed in Rome. Cooked upside down with stems commonly left long, they are exquisite in their presentation, flavor and simplicity.
(carciofi pronounciation: car-CHEE-OH-fee)
Roman style artichokes are easy to make and enjoy, with just a few wholesome ingredients: fresh artichokes, garlic and herbs with plenty of olive oil, simply seasoned with salt and pepper.
Olive Oil
Olive oil is used here as a flavoring as well as cooking medium, so you want a fresh, fruity extra virgin olive oil that tastes great. This liquid gold can get expensive. However, one reasonably priced fruity olive oil that I know of in the U.S. that is good to use as a raw flavoring as well as for cooking is Trader Giotto’s Sicilian Selezione Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Garlic
Don’t skimp on the garlic! The deliciousness of this simple dish relies on it. However the herbs are a little more flexible.
Herbs
In Rome, the herb used for Carciofi alla Romana is mentuccia (Calamintha nepeta), or lesser calamint. Nepitella (Calamintha glandulosa), another calamint similar to mentuccia, is also used (and confused!) for mentuccia. Although both are in the mint family, these calamints have a much milder mint flavor with warmer notes similar to oregano and thyme, than the mint we get at the grocery store.
Unless you grow it yourself, lesser calamint may be pretty hard to get a hold of in the United States. Fresh mint is the common substitute for Italy’s mentuccia. However, parsley is also commonly blended in with the mentuccia or mint in Italy, and that’s what I love to use, even by itself. So don’t worry if you don’t have mint on hand.
Cilantro? In an artichoke recipe (Cynara) of the Roman cookbook connected with Apicius, written in Latin around the 4th century AD, artichokes were cooked with coriander, our beloved cilantro. It’s interesting, because at some point in time cilantro disappeared from common consumption in Italy. And in fact, I’ve never heard of anyone in Italy who likes cilantro! (Although I’m sure someone does.) Maybe over time it will be favored again. Leeks, dill, and ground caraway (or cumin), lovage (I imagine the seeds) and pepper were also included in the Roman recipe, along with the ancient fish condiment garum — commonly used in place of salt — and cooked in beaten eggs. Sounds like an ancient Roman artichoke omelet.
Artichoke Season
Spring is the time to indulge in artichokes, when the tender-hearted thistles grace our markets and tables with their exquisite flavor and texture.
The sandy, well-drained soil and climate along the California coast is great for growing artichokes. Although the exact timing can vary, the season runs from about March to May, with peak season typically in April. In Rome, the main artichoke season generally runs from winter through spring, peaking around March and April, in case you get any ideas to visit.
What Kind of Artichoke to Use
The Romanesco artichoke, which also goes by the names Cimarolo and Mammolo, is commonly used for this recipe. But you can use any large artichokes varieties such as Green Globe, Violetta or Big Heart artichokes. Different kinds are available throughout the year. Here, I am using a Spinoso variety from Italy. (See next photo below, where spiny is an understatement!)
Look for artichokes that have tightly closed leaves, which is a sign of freshness. Leaves that have started to open up are a sign that they are getting old, accompanied by tougher leaves and a more invasive inner choke.
How to Store Artichokes
To store artichokes for making them Roman style, keep the stems, but remove any loose outer leaves.
When stored properly, artichokes can last well for about a week in the refrigerator. However, for the best flavor and texture, eat them as fresh as possible.
Note, artichokes keep best without moisture, so wait to wash them just before cooking. Store them unwashed and completely dry in the crisper drawer or a loosely closed plastic bag in the refrigerator.
Tip: If your artichokes come with fairly long stems (close to a foot long) you can store them like a bouquet of flowers in a vase of water. Depending on how fresh they are, they can keep up to a week, refreshed with new water at least every other day.
How to Trim Artichokes for Carciofi alla Romana
If you happen to be intimidated by the idea of trimming artichokes, don’t be. Just follow the step by step instructions in the recipe and you’ll be fine. It is very unlikely that you would have to deal with such spikes as the ones I was dealing with in the photo below, yikes!
Chances are that the artichokes you get will be a teeny bit less spiny than these. I mean look at those needles! If you look closely, there are even spikes on the leaves! Some other pictures I have of them were just too frightening to show. This delicious variety of artichokes, from the Italian island of Sardinia, appropriately called Spinoso di Sardegna, really makes you prove your devotion to them. I had to take a artichoke splinter out of Francesco’s finger. Ouch! But we still think they’re worth it.
A Note about the Fuzzy Choke
The fuzzy choke of the artichoke goes by various names in Italy: fieno (hay), barba (beard)… They remind me of fur, or the white bristles of a paint brush.
Is the choke edible? You might have read that the choke is inedible. The funny thing is, that I’ve eaten artichokes with the choke many, many times in Italy. Often they are younger or smaller and thus less fibrous. In any case, the choke does scream of being an insoluble, (indigestible) fiber, aka roughage, for sure.
Tip: It’s easier to carefully cut the chokes out without touching the tender hearts if you cut the artichokes into two halves first. True, they won’t have the same visual effect on the plate as whole artichokes, but they still look great, cook faster, which helps prevent the green color from fading, and caramelize beautifully with great flavor.
My Tips for the Best Roman Artichokes
Although the basics are pretty simple, there are different versions of carciofi alla Romana.
- Roman style artichokes are typically braised, using wine or water to stew in. However, I find that stewing them in a lot of liquid, whether water or wine, can sometimes turn them out with a bland taste and steamed like texture. Not very exciting, and kind of water logged — or wine logged.
To transform them into my idea of wonderful: I like to use less liquid, and instead of the typical braise, I like to reverse the process by waiting to step up the heat at the end, after the artichokes have cooked and softened. Then I let it cook down until the liquid is evaporated, and let the magic of caramelization begin, bringing out deep flavors, beautiful color and the perfect texture. - Instead of stuffing the artichokes at the beginning, I really like to add the garlic and herbs at the end. First, because the flavors turn out fresher and more vibrant when sautéed than when cooked in liquid. Secondly, because garlic tends to burn, which necessitates more liquid, and of course we need less liquid in order to get a great caramelization.
- I like to add lots of parsley and garlic because the taste is incredible to scoop up with good artisan bread. I can’t imagine anyone being able to resist sopping up all that flavor in its pool of fruity extra virgin olive oil.
- Then I drizzle quality extra virgin olive oil onto the individual plates a crudo (raw). To use it as a flavoring like this, the olive oil you use has to be one of great quality that tastes good raw. Otherwise, you’ll ruin your artichokes!
- Save enough parsley to sprinkle on top as garnish — it adds a beautiful vibrant green to the muted color of the artichokes.
Serving Suggestions for Roman Artichokes
What to serve with Roman style Artichokes? Roasted potatoes make a good pairing. Peas simply sautéed with a little onion and olive oil are another great pairing with artichokes. Or how about alongside some garlic toast, a block of aged cheese, and some fresh fava beans, raw or sautéed.
People say that artichokes and wine don’t go together, because it changes the taste. But when I am enjoying them with a crisp dry white with mineral undertones, like a nice glass of Vermentino or Sauvignon Blanc, I beg to differ. Everyone is different — so go with your taste buds. If the cynarin and other contributing compounds are evident to you, you may also find that water tastes sweeter after eating artichokes.
If you are enjoying Roman style artichokes with an aperitivo, as an appetizer, I wonder if the Italian aperitif Cynar (from the Latin word for artichokes, cynara) might be a good accompaniment.
Another Roman Favorite: Puntarelle alla Romana
Recommended Tools
- A 4 quart pot with lid – heavy bottomed with medium to tall sides
- A melon baller – A spoon works, but a melon baller makes it a lot easier to scoop out the choke of the artichoke.
The Recipe
Tools
- A 4 quart pot with lid – heavy bottomed with medium to tall sides
- A melon baller – A spoon works, but a melon baller makes it a lot easier to scoop out the choke of the artichoke.
Ingredients
- 4 artichokes, with stems
- ½ lemon, squeezed into a medium bowl of cold water
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil of good fruity flavor
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 Tbsp parsley, fresh
- 1 Tbsp mint, fresh
- ½ tsp salt
- a pinch (about ⅛ tsp) freshly ground pepper
Instructions
How to Trim Artichokes
- Pull off 3 to 4 layers of the leaves.1
- With a sharp paring knife, cut 1 to 1½ inch (3-4cm) off the top, and trim the stalk to about 3-inch (8cm) long. (Don't worry if there is no stalk.)
- Using your thumbs, spread out the leaves, starting from the outer layers and slowly moving towards the center, to pry open the flower. Then using a spoon, (or even better, a melon baller or grapefruit spoon), scrape the fuzzy choke out, being careful not to remove any of the tender heart of the artichoke below, and discard.2
- Remove the fibrous outer layer off the stem with a paring knife or vegetable peeler. Then place the artichoke in a bowl of cold lemon water to discourage the artichoke from darkening while you trim the others.
To Cook the Artichokes
- In a heavy bottomed tall pot, pour 1 Tbsp. (15ml) olive oil, ¼ cup (60ml) water and place the artichokes upside down (making sure there is enough room for the lid to close). Season with salt, cover with a lid and bring to a gentle simmer for about 10 minutes, or until barely tender.
- Uncover the pot, increase the heat to medium-high and let it cook for about 5 more minutes, or until all the liquid has evaporated and the bottom of the pan has turned golden brown.
- Cover with a lid, and immediately take off the heat. Let the artichokes sit there for about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, mince together the garlic, parsley and mint.In a separate small skillet, over medium-low heat, warm 2 Tbsp. (30ml) olive oil, add the minced garlic, parsley and mint, and cook for about 1 minute.
- To serve, transfer the artichokes to a platter and drizzle with the garlic herb olive oil sauce. Lightly sprinkle the inside with more salt, and pepper, and drizzle with good tasting extra virgin olive oil, if you like. Enjoy immediately.
