Braised Artichokes with Mint Pesto Recipe

It’s artichoke season and. I’m. here. for. it. I love artichokes. And if you can find them for a good price (you know, not $3 a pop), they’re 100% worth the effort it takes to clean them. Last year, I shared a great stuffed artichoke recipe and details on how to clean an artichoke, which you can find right here. To make a braised artichoke, you’ll clean them in a bit of a different way, so keep reading on!

After prepping the artichokes, you whip up a mint pesto with mint, basil, artichokes, olive oil and salt. Then you nestle the artichokes into a simple tomato sauce with white wine to braise for about an hour. Once the artichokes are fork tender they’re ready to be enjoyed – with extra pesto, obvi.

Just look at these beauties! Braised artichokes are definitely my new favorite way to enjoy the veg. You remove all of the rough leaves that don’t have much meat, and really get to enjoy the heart, stem and more meaty leaves. I love the earthiness of an artichoke, and really do love the experience of eating an artichoke. That bit of extra work just slows you down and gives you time to enjoy.

So to braise artichokes, you need to prep the little pokey suckers. First, remove about 1/3 of the leaves from the outside and just toss them. Then, slice the artichoke in half. Then trim the top so none of the spikes are left, and shave the stem with a vegetable peeler. Next, using a pairing knife, carefully remove the fuzzy prickly bits of the artichoke heart. They’re very bitter and sharp and you don’t want to eat them.

Once you’ve done all of this peeling and cutting, rub every bit of the artichoke with lemon to keep the artichoke from oxidizing. Repeat with the rest of your artichokes!

These are an excellent make-ahead dish, too! I whipped these up earlier in the day and set them aside for dinner with friends in the evening. We loved them, couldn’t get enough of them, and I wished I had made more of them!

Let me know when you make these!