Snapshots From Italy: Tagliatelle With Artichokes, Leeks, And Lemon Recipe
- 2 medium lemons
- 4 fresh artichokes
- 1 medium leek
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Several pinches of kosher salt to taste
- Several peperoncini, or crushed red pepper flakes to taste
- 12 ounces fresh tagliatelle or fettucine
- Pecorino Romano for grating
- Fill a large bowl with 1 quart cold water; squeeze the juice from one of the lemons into the bowl, and toss the two lemon halves in.
- With a sharp knife, trim the artichokes down to the heart and tender leaves, and cut the center into eighths; add them to the bowl of water. Peel about 2 inches of the artichoke stems, slice them lengthwise, and add them to the bowl. Thinly slice the leek, rinsing it well to wash away any sand and dirt.
- Heat about 1/2 cup of extra-virgin olive oil in a large, deep saute pan; add the drained, sliced artichoke hearts and stems, keeping them moving in the pan and adjusting the heat to prevent them from browning. After a few minutes, add the sliced leek, and season everything with a pinch of salt. Continue to saute the vegetables over medium heat until the leeks are soft and almost translucent, then add the lemon zest and juice, a few crumbled peperoncini or crushed red pepper flakes to taste, and 2 or 3 tablespoons of the hot pasta water. Cover the saute pan, and steam the artichokes tender.
- Bring the pot of pasta water to a rolling boil. When the artichokes are tender and the leeks are translucent, add the fresh pasta to the boiling water, and cook until it is al dente, which should take 1 to 2 minutes, depending on the thickness. When the pasta is cooked, add it to the simmering pan of artichokes with a splash of the pasta water and a few more tablespoons of olive oil. Toss everything over the heat for 30 seconds to bind the sauce with the pasta before plating. Serve with a grating of Pecorino Romano.
lemons, artichokes, leek, extravirgin olive oil, kosher salt, several peperoncini, tagliatelle
Taken from www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2008/03/tagliatelle-with-artichokes-leeks-and-lemon-pasta-recipe.html (may not work)