Nana’s Stuffed Artichokes

This is a delightful appetizer that is authentic Italian. My great Nana from Sicily used to make this often, and my mother, who is also Nana to my children, carried on the recipe.

You can make as many artichokes as you like, just multiply the recipe.

Ingredients

• FRESH WHOLE ARTICHOKE

• 1/2 C. PARMESAN CHEESE, GRATED

• 1/2 C. ITALIAN-STYLE BREAD CRUMBS

• 1/2 C. BUTTER (SALTED OR UNSALTED)

• 1/2 C. OLIVE OIL

• 2 T. MINCED GARLIC

Instructions

1. Start by cutting off the stem and leaf tips, then rinse the artichoke and steam for about 20 minutes, adding 2 to 3 minutes per extra artichoke. When they are fork tender on the bottom, they are ready.

2. To prepare the artichokes, place them into a baking dish and flay the leaves out a bit. Take the Parmesan cheese, and Italian-style breadcrumbs, mix in a bowl, and then sprinkle heavily into the leaves of the artichoke. Then mix the olive oil, butter, and garlic, and drizzle that on top of the dry mixture throughout the leaves. Be generous with the olive oil and butter mixture, as that can fall into the baking dish and you can use a baster to baste every 5 to 10 minutes for best results.

3. Bake at 350° for approximately 30 minutes. Once you see the mixture turning a nice golden brown, remove it from the oven and serve.

For those that are not familiar with how to eat artichokes, simply pull off a leaf, and use your teeth to get every bit of goodness plus the “meat” of the artichoke.