QUINOA AND PANCETTA FILLED ARTICHOKES IN TOMATO SAUCE

Right now you find a lot of artichokes around, when I first started to frequent Italy, I went crazy for artichokes-I could eat them in any form and as often as possible. Nowadays I am a bit blasé but I still like my artichokes, not only the taste, I love how they look too, I find them very beautiful. They look fresh and they have such an interesting form and let us not forget all the shades of green and cream you find in and on them. I were an artist, I think I would paint or create a lot of artichokes. The flowers are very beautiful too and in case you wonder what it’s in the first photo, it is a silver plated artichoke flower I got as dinner gift at a party.
Filled artichokes is one way of eating them, the good thing is that you can fill them with lots of different things, the bad is that it is a bit fiddly to do it and you have to have gentle fingers when you do it. Here I have filled them with quinoa, pancetta and parsley and cooked them in tomato sauce.

QUINOA AND PANCETTA FILLED ARTICHOKES IN TOMATO SAUCE

fresh artichokes
quinoa, cooked, I used red but any type of quinoa goes
pancetta or bacon in small cubes
parsley, finely chopped
tomato sauce
salt
extra-virgin olive oil

. Gently fry the pancetta until crispy, if you want to be healthier, let it drip off the excess fat before mixing it with the cooked quinoa and the parsley. If you do, add a little olive oil instead.
- Clean the artichokes and cut off about 1/3 off the top of the leaves. Open the artichoke leaves gently so that you creat a small ‘bowl’. If the hairy part in the middle is abundant, you can scoop or pull it out.
- Cut off the bottom of the artichokes so that they can stand up without falling. Spoon the quinoa into the artichokes and put them into a pan, pack them closely so that they stand up safely.
- Pour the tomato sauce into the pan almost up to the brim of the artichokes, be careful not to put too much.
- Let it it simmer under a half closed lid until the artichokes are soft and can stick a fork or long toothpick through them.
- Serve with the tomato sauce.

Some recipes with artichokes here on Lucullian, for more see the recipe index:

PUFF PASTRY BASKETS WITH ARTICHOKE AND PESTO FILLING
BRUSCHETTA WITH ARTICHOKES, OLIVES, SUN-DRIED TOMATOES ON SOFT GOAT’S CHEESE
FRIED POLENTA CUBES SERVED ON HOT ARTICHOKES AND SPRINKLED WITH PISTACHIO NUTS
STUFFED ARTICHOKES

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