5 Ingredients or Fewer

Pasta With Marinated Artichoke Sauce

by:
May 20, 2021
5
13 Ratings
Pasta With Marinated Artichoke Sauce
Photo by James Ransom. Prop Styling by Megan Hedgpeth. Food Styling by Kate Buckens.
  • Prep time 10 minutes
  • Cook time 10 minutes
  • Serves 2
Author Notes

A jar of marinated artichokes might not look like a jar of pasta sauce, but guess what? In this Big Little Recipe, that’s exactly what it is. The best part? You don’t need to cook it, and the whole shebang comes together in less time than it takes for a pot of water to reach a boil. If you don’t have a food processor, a blender can step in. While you want a purée that’s silky and smooth, err on the side of too thick versus too thin—you can always add salty-starchy pasta water or more marinade to get the consistency right. Also remember that the sauce will stiffen as it sits. If red pepper flakes aren’t your thing, skip them, or swap in freshly ground black pepper. And if you don’t have Parmesan, pecorino would be nice, too, or even ground toasted nuts or nutritional yeast. —Emma Laperruque

What You'll Need
Watch This Recipe
Pasta With Marinated Artichoke Sauce
Ingredients
  • 1 (12-ounce) jar quartered marinated artichoke hearts
  • Kosher salt
  • 1/2 pound rigatoni (or another short pasta)
  • Freshly grated Parmesan
  • Red pepper flakes
Directions
  1. Set a pot of water over high heat to come to a boil.
  2. Meanwhile, set a sieve over a bowl, then pour in the whole jar of artichoke hearts. Fill a 1/2-cup measure with artichokes and set those aside. Add the rest of the artichokes to a food processor, along with 1/4 cup of their marinade. Purée until smooth, adding more marinade if you’d like. Season with salt to taste. Transfer to a bowl.
  3. When the water is boiling, generously season it with salt. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, according to the package instructions.
  4. While that’s cooking, halve the reserved artichokes lengthwise.
  5. Use a spider or slotted spoon to transfer the hot pasta to the artichoke purée. Sprinkle with Parm and pepper flakes and toss. Add pasta water if needed. Top with the artichoke slivers, more red pepper flakes, and more Parm.
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  • ellemmbee
    ellemmbee
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    Tricia Stohr-Hunt
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    Scott Palmer
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    Mary Tarbrake
Emma Laperruque
Emma was the food editor at Food52. She created the award-winning column, Big Little Recipes, and turned it into a cookbook in 2021. These days, she's a senior editor at Bon Appétit, leading digital cooking coverage. Say hello on Instagram at @emmalaperruque.

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15 Reviews

Theresa K.
Theresa K. August 10, 2024
I have made this recipe several times and added toasted walnuts at the end for a little extra protein and chewiness. It’s satisfying and tasty. If you plan to have leftovers, don’t add the walnuts; they turn the pasta grey, which doesn’t affect the taste, but it looks a little unappetizing. I like the suggestion below to add some colorful greens and/or sun-dried tomatoes and may try that next time!
 
ellemmbee
ellemmbee July 31, 2024
Handful of spinach or arugula and/or oil packed sun-dried tomatoes make it pretty.
 
JohnSchucker
JohnSchucker March 24, 2024
A nice idea. I suppose it depends on the brand of artichoke hearts used, but I found it a bit too vinegary. I was thinking a splash of heavy cream would have balanced out the flavors, but didn’t have any on hand. I used Cento brand. I decided against using the grilled, marinated artichokes that I usually prefer, thinking maybe the smokiness might not be right but it might have been even better.
 
LULULAND
LULULAND May 4, 2022
This was good! I used a blender for the sauce, but should have used a food processor. The artichokes were stingy and some were tough. Next time I won't save 1/2 cup of them to slice and add to the pasta, as I think the smoothness of the sauce is a must. Hubs mentioned lemon would go good with this, I think so too. Maybe a little juice and zest. We did like it as is though, thanks!
 
Tricia S.
Tricia S. May 20, 2021
Since I was cooking for one I halved the recipe, but still added a bit of lemon zest and pine nuts. It was terrific.
 
MVlisa
MVlisa March 23, 2021
Really good and easy. Perfect for an everything from the pantry night or also great if you want to clean out the fridge. Yum!
 
Organicmom
Organicmom March 16, 2021
Been doing this forever and it's really yummy. I have always added a few capers, roasted red peppers and parm curls. So easy and yet so flavorful.
 
liliana
liliana March 18, 2021
Wonderful additions.
 
Scott P.
Scott P. March 15, 2021
So easy-so good!
 
c2Ann
c2Ann March 14, 2021
This tastes great, and would be especially good in hot weather. Since the pasta is the only thing heated, and (I learned) that's not enough to warm up the rest of it.
 
Lynn D.
Lynn D. May 26, 2021
You could put the sauce and artichokes in a wide serving bowl and put this on top of the pan while the pasta is cooking. This will warm the bowl and the sauce.
 
Mary T.
Mary T. March 14, 2021
Right up my alley...the trick is not to eat the artichokes out of the jar first!! Will post after I make this...soon!
 
Thomas
Thomas March 12, 2021
Can't wait to try this!
 
okaykate
okaykate March 11, 2021
This has been one of my moms oldest tricks for pasta salad... mix that marinate with Mayo for your salad dressing - it’s a flavor bomb
 
xhille
xhille March 9, 2021
gotta try this!