A simple side dish featuring artichokes and cauliflower topped with fresh parmesan. Using canned artichokes makes the prep quick and easy and it’s a great way to introduce a new vegetable to anyone who hasn’t tried them.
I’m gonna be honest. This dish is not exactly photogenic. Right? But what it lacks in beauty, it makes up for it in flavour. The combination of briny artichokes simmered in wine, along with the lemony garlic background, topped off with a punch of parmesan is way more important than the less than exciting colour.
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Artichokes are actually a thistle, so why would anyone want to eat them? They’re fairly high maintenance to prepare too because the outer leaves are tough and need to be removed, along with the centre which is called the choke. Hence the name. Enter canned artichokes. All the work is done for you and they have an awesome briny taste that I love. And they do have a fair bit of nutritional value so it’s a win win! If you’re not quite ready for artichokes as a side dish, you might like Warm Artichoke Dip.
Our friend Rob used to make an artichoke dish when we came to visit. He called it Carciofi. Pronounced Car-Cho-Fee. A little research confirmed that what he was making wasn’t actually Carciofi but it was really good anyway. So I came up with this recipe based on Rob’s dish and the ingredients in Carciofi. I considered calling it “Robciofi” but settled on Roasted Artichokes and Cauliflower.
Use canned artichoke hearts that aren’t seasoned, just preserved in brine. Drain them well and cut into pieces or halves, depending on the size you want. Using hearts ensures you only have the tender portion of the artichoke. Cut up the cauliflower into similar sized pieces. You want about the same ratio of cauliflower to artichokes.
Sauté some garlic in olive oil just until soft but not brown. Garlic burns easily so you just want to heat it gently to infuse the oil with the flavour. Add the artichokes and let them simmer in the garlic mixture so they drink up some of the flavour.
Add the cauliflower, salt and pepper, oregano, a splash of wine and a squeeze of lemon juice. Dry Vermouth is an excellent substitute for wine in this dish which has less alcohol. If you prefer not to use alcohol, use a bit more lemon juice. But remember, most of the alcohol cooks off when you bring the mixture up to a simmer and there isn’t much in there to start with.
Turn the heat up and bring to a simmer, then lower the heat and cover for about 5 minutes to combine the flavours and slightly cook the cauliflower. You don’t want to overcook it.
Roasted Artichokes and Cauliflower can be finished in the oven in the same pan if you like, or transfer the contents to a baking dish. I normally use a baking dish, maybe because I like doing dishes. Wait, no I don’t. Either way, spread some freshly grated Parmesan over top and roast in the oven for about 20 minutes. If your oven doesn’t have a roast setting, where the heat comes from the top, use a bake setting, then change to broil for a few minutes at the end to make sure you get some caramelization on top.
Roasted Artichokes and Cauliflower are pretty quick to make up but you can prepare the mixture in advance then roast later. And yes, you can make this with just artichokes or just cauliflower. But I love the combination. I like to serve this with a nice rack of lamb, Greek Salad and Rosemary Roasted Potatoes.
If you try this, consider leaving a comment or a rating. Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients
- 1 can artichoke hearts, not seasoned 398 ml or 13 oz
- 2 cups cauliflower florets about half a small cauliflower
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ¼ cup white wine or dry vermouth
- ½ lemon, juiced about 2 Tbsp
- salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Drain artichoke hearts and cut into halves or quarters, depending on the size. Cut cauliflower into bite sized florets.
- In large skillet, heat olive oil gently on low heat and simmer sliced garlic until soft and fragrant. Add artichokes and simmer for a few minutes. Add cauliflower, wine, lemon juice, oregano, salt and pepper.
- Increase heat to simmer away alcohol, then lower heat, cover and simmer mixture about 5 minutes.
- If desired, pour mixture into a medium sized baking dish, otherwise leave in skillet. Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
- Roast on middle rack of oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
- Set to broil for 2-3 minutes until Parmesan is browning and mixture is bubbling.
Love, love, love artichokes. I think it’s my fav veggie.
I can’t wait to try this!