Name: Italian Stuffed Artichokes
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 70 min
Total time: 110 min
Ingredients: 4 large fresh artichokes; 1 cup homemade breadcrumbs, (or panko breadcrumbs); 2/3 cup Parmigiano Reggiano; 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil; 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley; 1 teaspoon lemon zest; 1/2 lemon, (juiced); 4 garlic cloves, (minced or pressed); 2 Tablespoons olive oil; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 3 minced garlic cloves; 2/3 cup dry white wine ((I used pinot grigio)); 1 cup chicken broth; 2 Tablespoon fresh parsley, (chopped); 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest; 1/2 lemon, juiced; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 3 Tablespoons butter

Learn how to make Italian stuffed artichokes! Each artichoke is perfectly cooked and stuffed with a lemon and Parmigiano breadcrumb mixture. To pair with the artichokes is a delicious white wine herbed sauce the artichokes are cooked with that makes everything sing with bright flavor!

Several stuffed artichokes arranged on a white plate with lemons arranged around the artichokes.

Stuffed artichokes are one of my favorite appetizers, but fresh artichokes can be intimidating if you’ve never worked with them. Like any good Italian recipe, they take a little time and effort – a true labor of love! But they’re always worth it in the end.

I’ve made these for many of my family get-togethers, which are always a highlight! They’re not only delicious but fun to eat! You can serve them one per person if they’re smaller, or I like to serve one per couple for one medium to large artichoke.

The inside layers are stuffed with a lemony breadcrumb mixture with lots of Parmigiano Reggiano. While the artichokes cook, they will marinate in a white wine lemon herb sauce that you’ll pair with the artichokes at the end. It’s a dish filled with bright, impressive flavors and is a true crowd-pleaser!

Ingredients

Artichokes – you’ll need fresh artichokes for this recipe! I like to use medium-sized ones, larger ones will take a bit longer to cook thoroughly.
Breadcrumbs – are the main stuffing ingredient for the artichokes. You can use panko or make homemade breadcrumbs with any bread you have or prefer!
Parmigiano Reggiano – for a salty flavor cheesy addition for the stuffing.
Garlic – fresh cloves are used to season the stuffing and the white wine sauce.
Lemon – both the zest and the juice are used for the breadcrumb stuffing and the white wine sauce!
White wine – a key ingredient that gives robust flavor to the sauce. I like using a dry white like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc.
Chicken stock/broth – this is combined with white wine for the sauce. You can replace it with water, but I like to use chicken stock for more flavor!
Fresh herbs – parsley and basil are used to season the stuffing and the white wine sauce.
Butter – just a few tablespoons are needed to add richness to the white wine sauce.

How to Make it

1

Make the breadcrumb filling and the sauce. In a large bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, garlic, lemon zest and juice, Parmigiano Reggiano, herbs, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Set aside, and then mix all of the sauce ingredients together in a liquid measuring cup. Set this aside with the breadcrumbs for later.
2

Cut the stem off and the top of the artichoke. Slice the stem off and a 1/3 of the top of the artichoke (a serrated bread knife is best for this).
3

Trim the leaves. Use kitchen scissors to trim the top of the leaves off.

A collage of three images showing how to make Italian stuffed artichokes. The first image is the artichoke being trimmed, the second image is the artichoke being stuff with a breadcrumb mixture. Then the third image is the dish finished with the artichokes in a square dish before being baked.

4

Remove the “choke.” Use a spoon to scoop out the center feathery/fuzzy leaves, also known as the “choke.” This part is not edible, so scrape the bottom as best you can to remove everything. Note: if the artichokes are not being stuffed right away, you must submerge them in a large bowl or pot of lemon water to prevent them from oxidizing/turning black inside.
5

Stuff the artichokes as you trim them. First, spread the inner leaves out as much as possible. Then spoon the breadcrumb mixture over the artichoke and stuff it into the center and in between as many leaves as you can fit. Repeat this with the rest of the artichokes. Repeat until finished. Tip: Hold the artichokes over the bowl so any extra breadcrumbs that fall out of the artichoke can go back into the bowl so nothing is wasted.
6

Prepare them in a baking dish: Add the stuffed artichokes to a 9×13 baking dish, then pour the white wine sauce into the dish (not over top of the artichokes). Make sure the ingredients in the sauce are spread evenly throughout the dish.

Bake: Cover the dish tightly with foil, then bake the artichokes (on the second down from the middle rack) for 50 minutes covered, then uncover and bake for another 20-30 minutes (depending on how big or small the artichokes are). You will know the artichokes are finished by tugging at the leaves. If the leaves release easily from the artichokes, they’re finished! Note: if the artichokes are browning too quickly before they’re done, you can tent them with foil until they’re finished baking.

Tips for Making Artichokes

Artichokes oxidize quickly, so prep them as you go or submerge them in lemon water. Similar to potatoes, artichokes will oxidize once you start prepping them. Because of this, I like to prep the artichokes as I stuff them, not ahead of time. Otherwise, the center turns black, forcing you to clean them again. You can also prep the artichokes completely by submerging them in room-temperature lemon water.

Cook time will depend on how large or small the artichokes are. If you’re using smaller organic artichokes, they’ll cook for around 60-70 minutes. But they might need an additional 10-20 minutes if they’re larger.

Remove as much of the choke as you can. The key to a successful cooked artichoke is making sure the choke is properly cleaned out. Otherwise, it’ll end up being eaten, and I can tell you from experience that it’s far from pleasant. Use a spoon to scrape and clean out the bottom the best you can so none of the feathery parts remain.