Accounting for Taste

Akin to the dish of pasta fresca con carciofi e pecorino from Bari, Italy, Milk Street formulated this easy adaptation. It is a great weeknight meal with flavors that are bright and fresh, and the prep is a breeze (chopping the basil is as arduous as it gets here).

Be sure to purchase jarred marinated artichoke hearts—they offer much more flavor than canned or frozen. You will need three 12-ounce jars to get the 3 cups drained artichokes called for. The hearts usually are halved or quartered; there’s no need to chop them after draining, as they will break apart during cooking.

When draining the artichoke hearts, you may want to use the delicious seasoned oil from the jar in place of at least some of the olive oil.

Served with a side salad, it is a quick, healthy-ish weeknight meal.

Rigatoni with Artichokes, Basil and Pecorino

Servings: 4-6
Time: 30 min
Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

1 lb. Rigatoni
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups drained oil-marinated artichoke hearts, patted dry
4 medium garlic cloves, finely grated
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
2 oz. pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated (1 cup)
1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest, plus 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 cup lightly packed fresh basil, chopped
3 Tbsp. salted butter, cut into 3 pieces

Directions

In a large Dutch oven, bring 4 quarts water to a boil. Stir in the pasta and 1 tablespoon salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until just shy of al dente. Reserve about 2 cups of the cooking water, then drain the pasta.
Wipe out the pot, add the oil and heat over medium-high until shimmering. Add the artichokes and cook, stirring, until well browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
Add the garlic and pepper flakes, then cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Return the pasta to the pot, along with 1½ cups of the reserved pasta water. Cook, uncovered and stirring often, until the pasta is al dente and little liquid remains, 3 to 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat. Add the pecorino, lemon zest and juice, basil and butter, then stir until the butter is melted. Stir in additional pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time until slightly saucy. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

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Recipe by Diane Unger for Milk Street