Recipe Monday: Stuffed Baby Artichokes

Making baby stuffed artichokes is surprisingly not a huge pain in the ass, I made them as an appetizer during the week, but this could definitely serve as a dinner or lunch easily.

1 carton baby artichokes (my wegman's had it, trader joe's sometimes does, anyplace fancy-shmacy will), prepped (see how here)
2 pieces of bread, made into breadcrumbs (directions found here)
3 pieces of pancetta, diced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup grated cheese
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

First off, save yourself some heartache and it's better to snap off too many leaves than not enough. I learned this the hard way. Put the artichokes in a pot with enough water to cover them. Add salt, a dash of oil and the lemon juice. Cook on medium heat until boiling. Once boiling, cover. Cook for 15 minutes. Drain. Let cook for a few minutes until you can touch them without cussing. Then slice off the top tips of the artichokes (again, learned that the hard way. They're still a bit spiney) and then cut them in half. Heat the oven to 400. Arrange them in a baking pan cut sides up. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix breadcrumbs, pancetta, parsley, oil and salt and pepper to taste. Pour over the artichokes. Cook for 15 minutes.

Voila!