Artichoke Pasta Bake

If you are looking for an easy pasta bake away from the traditional macaroni cheese recipe we all love, please try this artichoke bake. I use dried penne rigatoni, however, you could substitute with spirals or butterfly pasta. Any shape will work. The artichokes add a touch of the Mediterranean and I recommend to use tinned as so much easier and quicker to prepare. The lemon juice is a must as this zesty touch gives the bake a lovely citrus lift.

15 minutes

30 minutes

Stove top cooking

Ingredients

400g dried penne rigatoni
Sauce
150ml extra virgin olive oil
100g turkey bacon

- roughly chopped
1 red onion

- finely sliced
2 garlic cloves

- finely sliced
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
400g jar or tin globe artichokes

- drained, quartered
2 lemons

- juice and zest
2 tbsp fresh parsley

- chopped
Generous amount of freshly grated parmesan

- bulk for pasta with extra for topping

Instructions

Cook sauce:
01 Heat a large frying pan and add the olive oil and bacon. Fry for 2 minutes. Add the onion, garlic and chilli flakes. Reduce the heat and allow to cook gently until soft for about 5 minutes.
Cook pasta:
02 Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of heavily salted water to the boil. Cook the pasta for about 8 minutes, or until al dente. When the pasta is cooked, drain.
Assemble:
03 In a mixing large bowl add the cooked pasta, sauce, artichokes, lemon juice, 3/4 of grated parmesan, parsley, season with freshly ground black pepper and fold through. Check the seasoning.
Bake:
04 Tip into a lightly oiled oven proof baking dish. Sprinkle generously with extra parmesan cheese on the top. Bake in the oven until well heated through, with the cheese melted and golden in colour.
Serve :
05 Best enjoyed hot and served to the table in attractive individual bowls or plates. Do not forget to garnish with extra chopped parsley.

Notes

This delightful pasta bake can be made ahead of time and reheated in the oven. I have used rigatoni shaped pasta, however, if you prefer bows or spirals, please go ahead. This recipe will work with any shaped pasta.