Tagliolini with Artichokes and Parma Ham by Franco Taruschio
Use the Viola or Violetti variety of globe artichokes for this dish. They are small and have no hairy
chokes (or very little), so once the outer leaves are removed the whole artichoke can be eaten.
Although we have suggested using Parma ham here, in the Marche prosciutto di Carpegna or
prosciutto nostrano would be used. These are available from good Italian delicatessens. The
artichoke sauce can be prepared in advance and then reheated for serving. Serves 4
Ingredients:
juice of 1 lemon
4 artichokes
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
50 g Parma ham, cut in julienne strips
2 large spring onions, trimmed and chopped
6 tablespoons dry white wine
6 tablespoons water
400 g fresh tagliolini
salt and freshly ground black pepper
chopped flat-leaf parsley and Parmesan cheese
shaving, to garnish
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 6/200°C. Have ready a large bowl of cold water to which the
lemon juice has been added.
Wash and trim the artichokes and remove the hard outer leaves. If the tops of the remaining
leaves are hard, trim off approximately 2.5 cm. Cut each artichoke lengthways into six and put
into the bowl of lemon water.
Heat the olive oil in a small flameproof casserole and fry the ham and spring onions for
1–2 minutes. Drain the artichokes, add them to the pan and cook over a moderate heat, stirring
frequently, for 10 minutes.
Add the wine and allow to evaporate. Add the water, then cover the casserole and transfer
to the oven. Cook for about 20 minutes or until the sauce is reduced and the artichokes are
tender. Season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil and cook the tagliolini
until al dente. Drain and tip into a large, warmed serving bowl. Pour the sauce over the pasta,
scatter over the parsley and Parmesan shavings and serve immediately.
*taken from the book ‘From Seed to plate’ by Paolo Arrigo, published by Simon and Schuster