It’s spring and a girl’s heart turns to thoughts of artichokes. If you know me, you know my passion about all things carciofi. Roasted, stewed, fried, in frittata, on pasta, with rice and even with rabbit. At the Minchilli house it’s artichokes 24/7 while the going is good.
This year is even better. Or worse, depending on how I look at things. For whatever reason (heavy rains? late frost?) the artichokes bedecking the markets of Rome this year are humongously gorgeous. Big, full round globes of purple and green goodness.
Which is great and everything. Except I’m going to be away for the first three weeks of April. While I’m thrilled to be going to the States to attend IACP and visit family, friends, editors and publishers in SF and NYC, I’m not so happy that I’m going to be missing the absolute high point of artichoke season.
To make up for this, I’ve been trying to stuff in as many as possible. In restaurants I’ve been ordering them fried as often as I can justify. And at home? Pasta is the vehicle of choice.
Last week’s visit to the Farmer’s Market resulted in a fantastic tangle of fresh farro fettucine. Which I saw as just an excuse for a topping of artichokes and their springy friend fave beans.
While their are lots of delicious recipes for fave, most of them require LOTS of fave, which means LOTS of dealing with pods. I like this recipe because I can manage to make a relatively small amount of fave go further. A kilo of fave beans, in their pods, results in about a cup or so of beans. Which is just enough to add an extra oompf of springiness to the pasta.
And since it’s Spring? I just went with that theme and added hefty handfuls of mint and parsley as well as fresh spring garlic. The leek, one of the last of the season, seemed a softer alternative than onion.
Now, off to clean the other 12 pounds of artichokes I bought.
Is there a condition called carciofophilia? Because I think I may have it. 
pasta with artichokes and fave
4 large artichokes
1 kilo / 2 pounds of fave beans in their pods
1 small leek, sliced thinly
3 – 4 spring garlics, sliced thinly
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup chopped parsley
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tsp salt, pepper
1 pound / 1/2 kilo fresh fettucine (I used a thick farro pasta, but feel free to use what you have)
Shell the fave beans.
Trim the artichokes (see this post for how to do it) and cut into eighths
Pour olive oil into a saute pan large enough to hold everything, plus the pasta. Heat to medium and add the leeks. Let them soften, for about 7 minutes, then add the artichokes.
Add salt, and pepper, and stir. Add about a 1/3 cup of water and cover, let cook for about 8 minutes. Add the fave beans and continue cooking, uncovered, for another 10 minutes. Add a bit more water as needed.
When the fave beans are cooked through, let the liquid boil away and add the garlic, stir and cook for a few more minutes.
In the meantime cook the pasta in salted water and drain, reserving a cup of the cooking water.
Just before the pasta is done, reheat the artichokes, and add the parsley and mint. Add the drained pasta, along with a bit of the cooking water. Heat gently to let the flavors meld. Serve topped with a swirl of your best olive oil.
I don’t usually serve this with cheese, but if you’d like to, you can offer grated parmesan on the side. 
Lovely! We had a version of this with peas, since fava are not ripe yet. I pick (I grow my own) artichokes when they are small, clean, blanch in three parts water, one part vinegar, drain and jar them under oil. Yes, indeed, nothing quite like it.
We’ve tried growing our own artichokes too, but somehow it never worked out. Lucky you!
squisito!
I think I must be a carciophiliac, too. Really miss being in Rome in the Spring for carciofi and in the Fall for porcini …. Fava beans (or broad beans as we call them in the UK) do grow well over here so that’s one for the allotment this year (once the frost/snow/Arctic winds end …)
And you’ve got lovely asparagus too!