summary

This beautiful Tuscan pasta is really all about letting those fresh baby artichokes shine, because when they are in season, they are truly spectacular. All that is needed to finish this is a simple olive oil and lemon sauce and that creamy, luxurious burrata. Serve this homemade tagliatelle and artichoke recipe with a warm baguette and an arugula salad.

ingredients

Pasta Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Sauce and Serving Ingredients:
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 pounds baby artichokes
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
¾ cup grated parmesan cheese
Zest of 1 lemon
8 ounces burrata cheese, at room temperature
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped

directions

To make the pasta dough, place the flour on a work surface and create a well. Place the eggs, olive oil and salt in the middle. Use a fork to beat the eggs, then slowly incorporate the flour. Switching from the fork to your hands, pull the dough together and knead for 8 minutes. Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Flour two sheet pans and set aside. Cut the dough into 4 equal parts. Working with one section at a time, run the dough through your pasta machine, according to the manufacturer's directions, to make tagliatelle. As you cut the pasta, twirl it into small bunches and toss it with the flour on the sheet pans to prevent it from sticking together.
Bring a very large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook to al dente, about 4 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta.
Combine 1 tablespoon lemon juice with 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a nonreactive bowl. Trim the artichokes by cutting off the tip of the stem and the top ¼ of the artichoke. Peel layers until you get to the very tender light yellow leaves. Cut the artichoke in half (or into quarters if larger). Add the trimmed artichoke halves or quarters to the bowl and toss to coat in the olive oil and lemon immediately.
Heat a large heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the artichokes with all the liquid. Saute, stirring often, until artichokes are golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes. Add ¼ cup water to the pan and cover. Let the artichokes steam for 2 minutes. Remove the lid and use the tip of a paring knife to see if they are tender. If not, add another ¼ cup of water and repeat this process. With the lid off, saute until all the liquid in the pan is completely gone.
Add the remaining ¼ cup of olive oil, the butter and garlic and saute, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice and stir to combine. Add the pasta along with ½ cup of the reserved pasta water and toss. Remove from heat and stir in the parmesan cheese and lemon zest. If the pasta seems dry, add more olive oil and pasta water as needed. Season well with salt and pepper.
Transfer finished pasta dish to a serving bowl or platter. Tear the burrata into pieces and scatter it over the pasta. Garnish with the basil and serve.

notes

You will need to take far more leaves off each artichoke than you think: Keep peeling until the leaves are light yellow and very tender.

You need to immediately put artichokes into the oil and lemon because they will start to oxidize (and turn brown) as soon as they are cut. Do not put them into water or you will have a watery sauce.

If you can’t find baby artichokes or you want to save time, you can simply substitute canned or frozen artichokes. Do not use marinated artichokes.

Feel free to substitute dried pasta of any kind for the homemade tagliatelle in this recipe.