30-Minute Meals 2: Emmanuel's Baked Artichoke Hearts
Rachael Ray remarks in her notes for this recipe that it's an update of a favorite recipe of her grandfather Emmanuel's. She streamlines his time-consuming stuffed artichoke recipe by topping artichoke halves with bread crumb stuffing and baking. The results are very good.
If you're wary of anchovies, this dish might be the one to win you over. They really do just melt away into the olive oil once you break them up with a spoon, and their flavor isn't the slightest bit fishy. Try it!
Use a fairly small casserole dish so that you can fit all of the artichoke halves closely together (I used an 8-inch diameter, 1-quart capacity Pyrex dish). Ray's recipe called for 15-oz. cans of artichoke hearts, which I couldn't find. My store carried 13.75-oz cans, which I called close enough. Use what you can find in your area -- 13-oz., 14-oz., whatever you've got.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 6-8 servings
1 Tbsp olive oil, plus a drizzle to coat baking dish
1/4 lemon
1 Tbsp butter
3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
6 anchovy fillets
1 cup Italian-style bread crumbs
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Freshly-ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Drain artichoke hearts. Cut them in half lengthwise. Drizzle a small casserole dish with a little olive oil and arrange artichokes in it, tops up and bottoms down. Squeeze the juice of 1/4 lemon over them.
Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add oil and butter. When butter is melted, add garlic and anchovies. Using the back of a wooden spoon, break the anchovies up into the oil. When anchovies have dissolved, add bread crumbs and lightly toast, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add parsley, cheese, and black pepper. Top artichokes with an even layer of bread topping and bake 10 minutes, or until topping is deep golden brown. Serve with Chicken Picatta Pasta Toss.