Baking Dish of Pasta, Artichokes, Potatoes, and Peas

The baking dish of pasta with artichokes, potatoes, and peas is a rich and tasty dish, excellent for when you want something comforting yet flavorful. Here’s how to prepare it with an Italian touch.

Ingredients

• 350 g of short pasta (like penne or fusilli)
• 300 g of cleaned artichokes
• 200 g of potatoes
• 150 g of fresh or frozen peas
• 1 clove of garlic
• 100 g of grated cheese (Parmesan or Pecorino)
• Extra virgin olive oil as needed
• Salt and pepper as needed
• 1 lemon (the juice, for the artichokes)
• Vegetable broth or water as needed
• Chopped parsley for garnish
• A small bunch of fresh mint (optional)

Preparation

1. Start by cleaning the artichokes: remove the outer harder leaves, cut off the thorny tips, and clean the stem. Cut them into wedges and soak them in a bowl of water and lemon juice to prevent browning.
2. Peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes of about 1 cm.
3. In a large skillet, heat a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and add a clove of garlic. Let the garlic flavor the oil and then add the artichokes drained from the lemon water. Sauté for a few minutes.
4. Add the potatoes and peas. Season with salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes.
5. Add vegetable broth or water to cover the vegetables and cook over medium heat until the vegetables are tender.
6. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in plenty of salted water following the package instructions but remove it a couple of minutes before it is fully cooked.
7. Prepare a baking dish by lightly oiling it.
8. Once the pasta is ready, drain it and pour it into the skillet with the vegetables, mixing well.
9. Transfer everything into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with grated cheese.
10. Bake in a preheated oven at 200 °C and let gratinate until a nice golden crust forms on the surface.
11. Remove the baking dish from the oven, let it cool slightly, and sprinkle with chopped parsley and fresh mint leaves before serving.

If you like, you can add some diced bacon or cooked ham to the mixture in the baking dish for an extra touch. Moreover, for an even more Italian flavor, you might add a touch of white wine during the cooking of the vegetables. Just pour a little before adding the broth and let the alcohol evaporate.

Curiosity

This recipe is a great example of a one-dish meal, perfect for bringing all the flavors of spring to the table. The combination of artichokes, potatoes, and peas is common in Italian cuisine, especially in peasant recipes where great value is given to the seasonality and freshness of the ingredients.