The New York Times recipe: One-pan creamy artichokes and peas

Of all the reasons I fantasise about moving to Rome, the availability of pre-cleaned artichokes is near the top of my list.

Whenever I felt like it, I could just nip down to the local vegetable market where the artichokes would be bobbing in buckets of lemon water, their pointy petals trimmed, their hairy hearts de-fuzzed, their fibrous stems meticulously pared away, until only the bright-green tender centre remained. It would take mere minutes to turn them into dinner, and in spring I’d happily eat them every night.

But, in my New York reality, fresh artichokes are weekends-only, when I have the time and patience to clean them. When the craving hits during the work week, I simply reach for a can.

Of course, canned artichokes are not interchangeable with fresh ones, certainly not in the way canned beans can replace dried beans cooked from scratch.

But canned artichokes (and their chilly frozen cousins) have distinct charms, including a mild, earthy flavour and soft, velvety texture that work beautifully in dishes created to take advantage of them.

Think of canned artichokes like canned tuna. Fresh tuna steaks are fantastic seared and served rare, but I wouldn’t want them in a tuna salad sandwich. Each has its own role in a balanced kitchen ecosystem.

This speedy spring-like vegetable stew was designed to bring out the best in canned artichokes, anchoring the mixture with their smooth, meaty character. The sauce that surrounds them is made from leeks (or spring onions) cooked down in butter, herbs and wine, until silky, glossy and fragrant. Peas, either fresh if it’s springtime or frozen if it’s not, add pops of bright colour and sweetness. I stir in dollops of fresh milky ricotta just before serving, which melts a little over the hot vegetables, thickening the stew and making it gorgeously creamy and rich.

But if you do have the time to clean your own fresh artichokes (or maybe you live in Rome), you can substitute them here. Just slice them into 1cm pieces after cleaning, and let the stew simmer for a few extra minutes until the artichokes are tender and supple.

Thanks to the canned artichokes and frozen peas I can, and do, make this stew all year long. But I find myself craving it most in spring, when it’s artichoke season in Rome.

Recipe: One-Pan Creamy Artichokes and Peas

By Melissa Clark

This creamy stew, full of seasoned sweet leeks, lemon zest and parmesan, is a celebration of spring that you can make all year long, thanks to the canned artichokes and frozen peas. The creaminess comes from dolloping fresh ricotta over the top, then swirling it into the warm stew as you eat so it melts a little. Serve this with crusty bread or over pasta, gnocchi or rice to soak up the fragrant, herby pan sauce.

Ingredients:

3 tbsp unsalted butter

2 leeks, white and light green parts, thinly sliced, or 1 bunch spring onions, trimmed and sliced

2 fresh tarragon sprigs, more for serving

¾ tsp fine sea or table salt, more to taste

2 tbsp dry white wine or dry (white) vermouth

1 (400g) can halved or quartered artichokes packed in water, drained

1½ cups vegetable or chicken broth

¼ cup grated parmesan, more for serving

2 cups peas, fresh or frozen (no need to defrost)

1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

1 cup chopped combination fresh herbs (mint, dill, tarragon, parsley, coriander)

½ cup full cream milk ricotta

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Step 1 In a large frying pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the leeks, tarragon and salt. Cook leeks until tender and golden brown at the edges, 4 to 6 minutes. Pour in the white wine and cook until evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes.

Step 2 Stir in the artichokes, broth and parmesan, and bring to a vigorous simmer. Cook until the leeks and artichokes are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the peas and cook until just tender and bright green, 1 to 3 minutes.

Step 3 Stir in the lemon zest and fresh herbs. Taste and add more salt if needed. Top the pan with dollops of ricotta, black pepper and more parmesan. Serve warm.

Serves 4-6

Total time: 30 minutes

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

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