Greek Artichoke Pasta Food

GREEK ORZO SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Drain artichoke hearts, reserving liquid.
• In large bowl combine pasta, artichoke hearts, tomato, cucumber, onion, feta, olives, parsley, lemon juice, oregano and lemon pepper. Toss and chill for 1 hour in refrigerator.
• Just before serving, drizzle reserved artichoke marinade over salad.

MEDITERRANEAN PASTA WITH ARTICHOKES, OLIVES, AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water. Return pasta to pot.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper, cook, stirring occasionally until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add wine and cook until evaporated, about 2 minutes.
• Stir in artichokes and cook until starting to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add olives and half of the tomatoes; cook until tomatoes start to break down, 1 to 2 minutes. Add pasta to skillet. Stir in remaining tomatoes, oil, cheese, and basil. Thin with reserved pasta water if necessary to coat the spaghetti. Serve with additional cheese.

ARTICHOKE & LEMON PASTA

Steps:

• Fill a 6-qt. stockpot three-fourths full with water; add 2 teaspoons salt and bring to a boil. Add asparagus; cook, uncovered, 1-2 minutes or just until crisp-tender. Remove asparagus and immediately drop into ice water. Drain and pat dry., In same pot of water, cook pasta according to package directions for al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta water. Return pasta to pot., Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add artichoke hearts; cook and stir 3-4 minutes or until lightly browned. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add to pasta., Add asparagus, goat cheese, parsley, lemon peel, lemon juice and the remaining salt and oil; toss to combine, adding enough reserved pasta water to coat. Heat through. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

CREAMY ARTICHOKE PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions for al dente.
• Meanwhile, blend the drained artichoke hearts, 1/4 cup water, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a high-powered blender until completely smooth. Set aside.
• Heat the olive oil in a large high-sided skillet or braiser over medium heat. Add the roasted red peppers, olives, capers and red pepper flakes and sauté until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and a drizzle of oil if needed. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is slightly softened but not brown, about 1 minute. Stir in the blended artichoke hearts, then reduce the heat to low.
• When the pasta is ready, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta and add it directly to the skillet with the artichoke sauce. Add about 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water and toss together until the sauce and water become a cohesive creamy mixture, add more pasta water as needed. Turn off the heat. Add the basil and parsley, toss to combine and serve.

BRAISED GREEK ARTICHOKE BOTTOMS WITH LEMON AND OLIVE OIL

Steps:

• Fill a bowl with water and add the juice of 1 lemon. Cut away the end of the stems of the artichokes, leaving about an inch. Break off the tough leaves around the bottom, and using a large, sharp chef's knife, cut away the tops about an inch above the widest part of the artichoke. Then trim the base by holding a paring knife at a 45-degree angle and turning the artichoke against the knife. You should end up with bare artichoke bottoms with no leaves and smooth sides. Peel the stems. Cut the artichoke bottom in half, scoop out the spiny inner leaves and the choke, and immediately plunge it into the bowl of acidulated water.
• Oil a large casserole. Drain the artichokes, take two halves and press them together to make a single artichoke, and place in the casserole, stem up. Repeat with the remaining artichokes, squeezing them into the pot with their stems facing up.
• Add enough water to the casserole to come a third of the way up the sides of the artichoke bottoms. Drizzle in the remaining lemon juice and the olive oil. Add salt to taste and sprinkle on the dill. Bring to a simmer, cover tightly and simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes, or until the artichokes are tender. Remove from the heat and allow to cool, then transfer to a platter. Discard the liquid in the pot. Serve cold or room temperature, garnished, if desired, with fresh dill.

GREEK-STYLE PASTA WITH SHRIMP

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds. Add shrimp and sauté until almost cooked through, about 2 minutes. Add artichokes, feta, tomatoes, lemon juice, parsley and oregano and sauté until shrimp are cooked through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain. Transfer pasta to large bowl.
• Add shrimp mixture to pasta and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

GREEK PENNE AND CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large pot with boiling salted water cook penne pasta until al dente. Drain.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat melt butter, add onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add chopped chicken and continue cooking, stirring occasionally until golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes.
• Reduce heat to medium- low. Drain and chop artichoke hearts and add them, chopped tomato, feta cheese, fresh parsley, lemon juice, dried oregano, and drained penne pasta to the large skillet. Cook until heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Season with salt and ground black pepper. Serve warm.

GREEK ORZO ARTICHOKE SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• Drain artichoke hearts, reserving liquid.
• In large bowl combine pasta, artichoke hearts, garlic, tomato, cucumber, onion, feta, olives, parsley, lemon juice, oregano and lemon pepper. Toss and chill for 1 hour in refrigerator.
• Just before serving, drizzle reserved artichoke marinade over salad.

GREEK CHICKEN PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water until tender yet firm to the bit, 8 to 10 minutes; drain.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 5 to 6 minutes.
• Reduce heat to medium-low; add artichoke hearts, tomato, feta cheese, parsley, lemon juice, oregano, and cooked pasta. Cook and stir until heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper, and garnish with lemon wedges.