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20 Artichoke Recipes to Make This Spring That *Aren’t* Spinach-Artichoke Dip

With spring underway, odds are you’ve already eaten your fair share of asparagus, peas and radishes. But if you’ve been dodging fresh artichokes at the farmers market—which are in season from March through May—due to their intimidating appearance, you’re missing out big time. Not only are they earthy and herbaceous, but they’re also super versatile, since they can be steamed, baked, turned into sauce, tossed into salad or pasta, and more. Here are 20 artichoke recipes to whip up while they’re at their tastiest. (Canned artichokes will work in a pinch, but read on to find out how to prepare fresh artichokes.)

How to Cook an Artichoke


artichoke recipes how to prep an artichoke
Mckenzie Cordell

How To Cook Fresh Artichokes

When it comes to cooking fresh artichokes, most of the heavy lifting is really prep work. But, much like cooking lobster, the dirty work of getting past artichokes’ outer armor is well worth it. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Trim the spiky tips of the leaves off and peel away any baby leaves.

Step 2: Using a sharp butcher or serrated bread knife, slice about ¾ of an inch off the top of the choke.

Step 3: Remove the stem or trim a bit off the tip and shave it down with a vegetable peeler.

Step 4: Wash the artichoke under cold running water, gently pulling apart the leaves as you rinse to clean the entire head.

Step 5: Boil the artichoke in a pot of salted water until its outer leaves are easy to remove from the base. You can also steam it in a steaming basket atop a pot of boiling water until tender. Either way, the artichokes will be ready to cook with (or eat plain with a side of melted butter and lemon).

Ready to get cooking? Here are 20 different ways to use artichokes in your next meal.

1. Crispy Roasted Artichokes

A half-hour in the oven takes artichokes from hard and fuzzy to crisp and golden brown. You’ll want to make a double batch of the lemon-garlic aioli, trust.

2. Grilled Flatbread Pizza With Artichoke, Ricotta And Lemon

Feel free to marinate your own fresh artichokes in olive oil and various spices in advance. That way, whenever a craving strikes, you can make this pie in just over 30 minutes.

3. Salami, Artichoke And Ricotta Pasta Salad

Warning: If you make this side for a picnic once, expect to make it for every future picnic you ever host. Your guests will hold you to it.

4. Lunch Kebabs With Mortadella, Artichoke And Sun-dried Tomatoes

Eight tiny sandwiches > one regular sandwich. It’s just a fact. Serve it with plenty of lemon pesto for dipping.

5. Spinach Artichoke Squares

Just as cheesy and indulgent as your favorite party dip, but ten times more elegant. The store-bought frozen puff pastry will be our little secret.

6. 15-minute Mezze Plate With Toasted Za’atar Pita Bread

A no-cook dinner that’s basically made of snacks? Yes, please. We’ll bring the Pinot Grigio.

7. Goat Cheese Pasta With Spinach And Artichokes

Tangy, creamy goat cheese is just the match for earthy artichokes and robust spinach. Most importantly, it’s ready in 25 minutes.

8. Our Family’s Favorite Salad

This starter boasts everything from roasted red peppers to toasted pine nuts, but the real star is the zesty red wine vinaigrette.

9. Spinach Artichoke Egg Casserole

Yup, artichokes are even invited to brunch. Come for protein-packed eggs and fresh herbs, stay for alllll the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

10. Pesto, Artichoke And Havarti Grilled Cheese

We have nothing against jarred pesto, but you won’t be disappointed if you go the extra mile by making spinach-basil pesto from scratch.

11. Spinach And Artichoke Dip Pizza

We thought there was no way the iconic appetizer could get any more delicious. We’re so happy that we were wrong.

12. Steak And Artichoke Salad With Blue Cheese Dressing

Forget the gloppy bottled stuff. The dressing is made from scratch with tangy Greek yogurt, fresh lemon, garlic and crumbled blue cheese.

13. One-pot Chicken With Creamy Spinach Artichoke Pasta

This 45-minute gem is begging to be added to your weeknight rotation. Think seared chicken breast over orzo, both swimming with veggies in a zingy cream cheese sauce.

14. Artichoke And Broccoli Pesto Brie Panini With Thyme Honey

Psst: Did you know you can turn pretty much any green into pesto? Feel free to substitute basil with any soft green, like arugula, spinach or parsley. You can also use toasted almonds, pistachios or walnuts instead of pine nuts.

15. Artichoke Dip Bites

This take on artichoke dip brings the heat with canned green chiles, but the cream cheese, mayonnaise and sour cream cool it down beautifully. (In case you need more convincing, the bites are topped with bacon.)

16. Lemony Artichoke Soup

It’ll only take you 30 minutes from start to finish if you use jarred artichoke hearts, but this citrusy soul-warmer is definitely worth making with fresh ones, too.

17. 30-minute Artichoke And Pea Rigatoni

Two spring delicacies united in creamy, cheesy harmony. Up the seasonal ante by throwing some chopped asparagus into the mix.

18. Italian Marinated Artichoke Salad

The short ingredient list and zippy Italian vinaigrette really let the produce shine. Think peppery arugula, sharp red onion, juicy grape tomatoes and marinated artichoke hearts.

19. Creamy Spinach And Artichoke Salmon

Hi, single-skillet dinner of our dreams. We don’t know where we fell for you first: the buttery seared salmon or the decadent coconut milk sauce.

20. Herbed Spinach And Artichoke Pull-apart Pretzel Bread

It’s essentially the savory monkey bread of the gods. If the name alone doesn’t convince you, we’re guessing the dreamy trifecta of mascarpone, fontina and Parmesan cheeses in the filling will.



taryn pire

Food Editor

Taryn Pire is PureWow’s food editor and has been writing about all things delicious since 2016. She’s developed recipes, reviewed restaurants and investigated food trends at...