Artichoke Pasta

Meggan Hill

5 from 108 votes

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This simple, delicious Artichoke Pasta is made with lemon, butter, and plenty of Parmesan. Frozen artichokes make it easier to enjoy year-round without the fuss of cleaning fresh artichokes.

A plate full of artichoke pasta.


 

Meggan’s notes

I look forward to Artichoke Season every year, but when it comes to pasta recipes, we don’t like limitations. That’s why this recipe is made with frozen artichoke hearts. I like to keep things easy.

Flavor the artichoke hearts with butter and lemon, red chili flakes, and Parmesan. Serve with chewy pasta for a simple, elegant dinner that is wholly satisfying, and thank me later!

Table of Contents

  1. Meggan’s notes
  2. Recipe ingredients
  3. Ingredient notes
  4. Step-by-step-instructions
  5. Recipe tips and variations
  6. Frequently Asked Questions
  7. Artichoke Pasta Recipe

Recipe ingredients

Artichoke Pasta ingredients in bowls.

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

Ingredient notes

  • Fettuccine: Or substitute linguini, spaghetti, or your other favorite pasta.
  • Water: A little starchy pasta water helps bring the sauce together. If you’re worried you might forget to reserve pasta cooking water (it happens to the best of us), put a measuring cup in your colander. That way, when you go to drain your pasta, you’ll see the measuring cup and remember.
  • Lemon: Zest the lemon before you juice it.
  • Artichoke hearts: Use frozen artichoke hearts that have been thawed and drained well. Do not substitute canned artichoke hearts here.

Step-by-step-instructions

  1. In a large pot, bring 4 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 9 to 11 minutes. Reserve one cup of the pasta cooking water to use later, then drain the pasta well.
A colander full of cooked fettuccine.
  1. Meanwhile, in a large pan over medium heat, heat butter and extra virgin olive oil until melted together. Stir in onion, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of black pepper. Cook until softened, about 8 minutes.
Cooking artichoke hearts in a skillet.
  1. Stir in artichokes and sauté until heated through, about 3 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and remove from heat.
Cooking artichoke hearts in a skillet.
  1. To a large serving bowl, add drained pasta, artichoke mixture, ½ cup reserved pasta water, and Parmesan cheese. Toss until combined, adding more liquid if needed to bring the sauce together. Season to taste with salt and pepper and garnish with parsley leaves.
A plate full of artichoke pasta.

Recipe tips and variations

  • Yield: This recipe makes 6 generous servings.
  • Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  • Make ahead: This recipe tastes best the day it is made.
  • Garlic: This recipe is conspicuously missing garlic cloves! Sometimes garlic can overpower all the other flavors in a recipe, so I left them out. I like it better that way. For the garlic lovers, just add a few sliced or minced cloves with the onions in Step 2.
  • Spinach: Add a handful of baby spinach to the skillet with the artichokes for extra color and flavor.
  • Goat cheese: Instead of Parmesan cheese, make artichoke pasta with a creamy goat cheese that melts into the dish. Tastes fabulous with the lemon!
  • Chicken: Leftover rotisserie chicken adds protein to the recipe and tastes great, too. Add cooked chicken when you add the artichokes.
  • Bacon: Cook some chopped bacon or pancetta in the butter/olive oil mixture until crispy, then proceed with the recipe as written.
  • More artichoke recipes: Try hot and bubbly Spinach Artichoke Dip, Stuffed Mushrooms with artichoke hearts, or my easy Flatbread Pizza with artichoke hearts and dollops of cream cheese.
A plate full of artichoke pasta.

Frequently Asked Questions

What goes well with artichokes?

Artichokes taste especially good with onions, lemon, parsley, thyme, tomatoes, garlic, mint, and white wine. Any dish that can incorporate a few of these complimentary flavors together is going to be a winner! I also love to serve artichokes in recipes featuring bacon or pancetta, sausage, chicken, shrimp, potatoes, and mushrooms.

What is the best wine to serve with artichokes?

Artichokes and recipes featuring them are often served with dry white wine. It’s a delicious flavor combo. The best wine to serve with them, though, is the one that you like the best.

When are artichokes in season?

Artichoke season is typically May through June.

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A plate of artichoke pasta.

Artichoke Pasta

By Meggan Hill
This simple, delicious Artichoke Pasta is made with lemon, butter, and plenty of Parmesan. And it's made with frozen artichoke hearts so you can enjoy it year-round.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Calories 550
5 from 108 votes
ReviewPrint

Ingredients 

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 16 ounces fettuccine or other long pasta (see note 1)
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 large onion peeled and chopped
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest (see note 2)
  • 1/8 teaspoon red chili flakes
  • 18 ounces frozen artichoke hearts thawed and drained (see note 3)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese plus more for garnish
  • minced fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions 

  • In a large pot, bring 4 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt to boil. Add fettuccine and cook until al dente, about 9 to 11 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water and then drain well.
  • Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, heat butter and oil until melted and combined. Add onion, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of black pepper. Cook until softened, about 8 minutes.
  • Stir in artichokes and sauté until heated through, about 3 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and remove from heat.
  • To a large serving bowl, add drained pasta, artichoke mixture, ½ cup reserved cooking liquid, and Parmesan cheese. Toss until combined, adding more liquid if needed to bring the sauce together. Season to taste with salt and pepper and garnish with parsley.

Recipe Video

Notes

  1. Water: A little starchy pasta water helps bring the sauce together. If you’re worried you might forget to reserve pasta cooking water (it happens to the best of us), place a measuring cup in your colander. That way, when you go to drain your pasta, you’ll see the measuring cup and remember.
  2. Lemon: Zest the lemon before you juice it.
  3. Artichoke hearts: Use frozen artichoke hearts that have been thawed and drained well. Do not substitute canned artichoke hearts.
  4. Yield: This recipe makes 6 generous servings.
  5. Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 servingCalories: 550kcalCarbohydrates: 63gProtein: 20gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 379mgPotassium: 452mgFiber: 6gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 568IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 235mgIron: 2mg
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5 from 108 votes (96 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. I only had jarred Artichoke hearts so rinsed cut in half and put in air fryer to get crispy edges. Also roasted frozen cauliflower and broccoli. Added Rotisserie chicken and fresh Parsley. Delicious!5 stars

    Reply

  2. As a poor college student, this dish is great on a budget! It’s simple but has great flavor. I will admit that it doesn’t look appetizing when cooking but the taste greatly outweighs the appearance. Definitely recommend this dish!5 stars

    Reply

  3. I’m looking forward to trying this recipe! Out of curiosity-why frozen over canned artichoke? Are the canned tougher? Or fall apart when cooking? Just curious- thank you!

    Reply

    1. Hi Kaitlyn, frozen artichokes are neutral in flavor. Jarred or canned artichokes retain the flavor of the marinade or liquid they are made with. Hope this helps! – Meggan

  4. Excellent recipe. I had to use canned artichoke as it is all that was available. Less than ideal but it worked out fine. The can was fourteen ounces so I added a red pepper which added a nice flavor and color. I only ended up using half the pasta which worked out well. I would definitely use this recipe again as it is delicious, uses accessible ingredients and is so easy to put together. Enjoy!5 stars

    Reply

  5. Wow, loved this recipe. My frozen artichokes were only 10oz from Trader Joes so I added one can of TJ’s canned artichokes and they held up great. Loved the layers with the sweet onion flavor, tart lemon and slight heat from pepper flakes. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

  8. Brazilian mother and daughter were reading your recipe! We are going to cook this past now. I wanna thank you!
    Greetings from Rio de Janeiro.

    Reply

  9. I am on low sodium, low oxalate diet. Would using mozzarella cheese be ok. Can have lemon juice but on zest. Never made anything with artichoke hearts before.
    Thank you
    Jeff

    Reply