Wine-Braised Artichokes with Feta and Orecchiette

I’m a sucker for fresh pasta!  I make my own from time to time but haven’t been in the mood of late.  The other day I was in Eataly (I so love this food market) and could not resist going past the fresh pasta counter.  I love watching the machines churn out the different pastas. It’s difficult to know which one not to buy but the sweet pea with fresh mint ravioli shouted out ‘pick me’.  Even though this recipe calls for orecchiette (little ears in Italian), how could I resist these cute little packets.

Serves 4 
adapted from Ripe 

sea salt
8 oz. (227g) orecchiette or medium pasta shells
juice of ½ lemon
1 ½ pounds (680g) baby artichokes (about 9)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
½ cup chicken or vegetable stock
½ cup dry white wine
2 ounces (57g) creamy Greek feta, crumbled
3 tablespoons drained capers
½ cup (28g) chopped fresh parsley
freshly ground black pepper

Cook the pasta in salted water according to package directions, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Meanwhile, squeeze the lemon juice into a large bowl of cold water. To trim the artichokes, pull off and discard the hard outermost leaves. Eventually you will come to a point where the leaves are tender and soft, half green and half yellow. Use a sharp, heavy knife to cut off the top (green) portion. Slice the stem level with the base. Quarter each artichoke lengthwise, then toss in the lemon bath. Repeat with the remaining artichokes.

Place the oil and garlic in a large skillet over medium-low heat for about 3 minutes, so the garlic can slowly warm. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the artichokes to a double thickness of paper towels and pat dry, then carefully add to the skillet. Raise the heat to medium high, and sauté for about 5 minutes.

Add the stock and wine to the skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and cook until the artichokes are tender, about 10 minutes. Uncover, raise the heat again, and simmer for an additional 3 minutes so the liquid reduces slightly. Transfer the drained pasta to the skillet, along with the feta, capers, and parsley. Spoon in a few tablespoons of the reserved cooking liquid to loosen the sauce, if desired. Heat through, season with pepper, and serve immediately.

The Culinary Chase’s Note:  The feta softens a bit to create a creamy, silky texture…so good with the artichokes.  Yum!

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