I grew up in central California where I certainly ate my fair share of artichokes over the years. And during those four years I spent in Sicily, I probably ate way more than my fair share. Sorry, it couldn’t be helped.
My standard way of cooking/eating artichokes is to steam them whole then peel off the leaves one by one, dipping each into mayo before scraping off the tiny bits of artichoke “meat” with my teeth. I continue to do this until I have ingested way more mayonnaise than any person needs to consume in one sitting (as evidenced by the huge pile of artichoke leaves towering in front of me by the time I’m done) and I have made my way to the heart, which I carefully trim and clean before eating it with even more mayo. Don’t judge.
In Sicily it was different. There, I mostly ate smaller artichokes that were drizzled with fruity olive oil and grilled over an open flame. Delicious.
Of course I eat artichokes in lots of other ways, too. I love stuffing them with a mixture of bread crumbs, garlic, Pecorino, and fresh herbs. I love artichoke hearts prepared just about any way you can imagine (especially breaded, fried, and drizzled with tart lemon-butter). I love cheesy, bubbling artichoke dips. I love artichoke soups.
While I do enjoy eating artichokes in a variety of ways, I haven’t branched out much when cooking whole artichokes. I’ve steamed them and boiled them and occasionally finish partially steamed or boiled artichokes on the grill – but that’s about it. So when I ran across this method for Simple Roasted Artichokes yesterday, I knew I had to give it a try.
I started with these gorgeous artichokes that I picked up at a fruit stand in Gilroy the other day. I love living in California.
First, I sliced off the top third of the artichoke with a sharp knife. All of that is inedible, so you aren’t wasting anything by doing this. Plus, it looks so pretty!
Next, I cut off the stem right at the base of the artichoke. The stem is edible if peeled, so you can save it if you want. Mine didn’t come with much of a stem anyway, so I didn’t bother saving it.
With the stems cut this way the artichokes will sit up nicely on their own. Aren’t they cute?
Now tear off a large square of heavy duty aluminum foil, drizzle it with a few drops of olive oil, and smear it around a bit. Place one artichoke in the middle of the foil and open up the leaves a bit with your fingers. Tuck a few peeled garlic cloves into the artichoke. Sprinkle kosher salt all over it then squeeze lemon juice and drizzle olive oil over the top. I used half a lemon per artichoke and probably drizzled a tablespoon or so of oil (maybe more).
Once you’ve seasoned it, wrap the foil up around the artichoke, sealing it well. If you don’t have heavy duty aluminum foil, wrap it with an extra sheet of the regular kind. Repeat with as many artichokes as you want. Place wrapped artichokes in a pan and roast in a preheated 425 degree oven for one hour and 15 minutes. If you are using small artichokes, one hour is good. Jumbo artichokes might take an hour and a half.
After removing them from the oven, let artichokes sit until cool enough to handle, then unwrap. The garlic will be soft and sweet and delicious – you’ll probably want to eat that first.
Next, start peeling off the leaves one by one, and enjoy the garlicky, lemony, salty olive oil as you scrape each one with your teeth. I didn’t even need mayonnaise!
If you’ve never dealt with a whole artichoke before, you might be a little confused/intimidated when it comes to finding the heart. I’m here to help. Remove all the leaves until it looks something like this.
Grab the remaining leaves with your fingers, grasp the bottom of the artichoke with your other hand, and pull.
The whole thing should pop right off like a cap, leaving some furry-looking stuff behind.
Take a spoon and gently scrape out the fur (no, it’s not actually fur).
What you have left is what I call the heart, but might be more accurately described as the artichoke bottom. Whatever you want to call it, it’s my favorite part!
The fork is only there for show – I always eat the entire artichoke with my hands (licking my fingers along the way).
While they did take a long time to roast, these artichokes were definitely worth the wait! They were simple to prepare and simply delicious. Next time I’ll probably add even more garlic cloves because the roasted garlic was one of the best parts.
In case my photos weren’t enough to illustrate the process, here’s a video that shows you the exact same method. Give it a try!
I haven’t had an artichoke in so long. I bought some this spring but they turned bad before I could prepare them.
Roasted sounds absolutely wonderful, I have to try this when I have some again. Artichoke hearts are heavenly! 
Jenn
3:36 am May 27th, 2010I’ll have to try this method! I’m with you in that our usual route is with mayo and steaming. We love artichokes so much that this would greatly improve the health factor and support eating them more often.
5:19 am May 27th, 2010I’m from the Midwest and have not been exposed to artichokes so when I received a couple in my farm delivery, I had to search for a way to cook them. I just happened to come upon this roasted method and I’m so happy I did! An old shoe would have tasted good with the olive oil, lemon, salt, and garlic but the artichokes were pure bliss! Now I can’t wait to do more of them. I refuse to tell my husband how good they are because I want them all for myself!
5:56 am May 27th, 2010We usually stuff our artichokes with pine nuts and ground meat and cook them in tomato sauce.
5:59 am May 27th, 2010I’ll have to try the roasting method, if I can find chokes as pretty as those!
Thanks for this new method. I have always boiled/steamed and really like the idea of roasting them instead.
7:31 am May 27th, 2010I have never had nor attempted an artichoke. Now that I have this for a reference I will definitely give it a try. Always have to surprise my husband with something new!
7:38 am May 27th, 2010Okay, that looks like it’s worth eating! I’ve only had them steamed before and it didn’t blow me away. Have you tried roasting them on the grill?
8:49 am May 27th, 2010I’m a California transplant and I might just stay here for life because of the artichokes. They are THAT good. I steam mine whole then dip them in a sauce made with melted butter, dijon and a splash of white wine. I’ve never been into the mayonnaise dipping sauces (even though I like my french fries dipped in mayo). Beautiful photos!
8:50 am May 27th, 2010Absolutely wonderful! I’ve been getting into artichokes lately, and the only way I knew how to cook them was the “boil” or “steam” method. I’m definitely going to try this! Thanks for posting!
8:56 am May 27th, 2010I love artichokes, but I usually steam them because I’m too impatient to wait for any other method! But this looks so yummy, I may have to try it. Maybe I’ll steam an artichoke to eat while waiting for the others to roast!
9:14 am May 27th, 2010Thank you for posting this. My artichoke plant has about 10 artichokes that are ready to be eaten, so I’ll definately be roasting them tonight. When I steam my artichokes, I spread chopped garlic (fresh or the kind in the jar) all over the artichokes before I steam them. While they’re steaming they smell sooo good and when they’re done, the garlic has almost a nutty flavor. Then we eat with mayo-lemon. YUM. Can’t wait.
9:15 am May 27th, 2010Loved your article. I especially enjoyed reading about how you eat your artichokes, because I enjoy them the EXACT SAME WAY!!! Definately steamed and definately with lots and lots of Hellman’s mayo….I, too, was raised in California where artichokes are not hard to find. Let’s just say, I am FAMILIAR with artichokes….LOL Now I live in Louisiana, where artichokes are practically unheard of, small and cost around $3.00 EACH!!!! No, I am not kidding. On occasion, I splurge and buy a few and hoard them all to myself. I dare not even let my family try them or they might like them too…
9:20 am May 27th, 2010Thank you so much for this, I absolutely have to make these, sounds yummy and dead easy because your pictures are great! They’re so helpful AND beautiful at the same time. Now I need to find good artichokes. And tons of garlic, yeah! Keep on the good work!
9:34 am May 27th, 2010Believe it or not, I’ve never eaten a (fresh) artichoke. They intimidate me, but, thanks to this post, that’s not the case anymore. I’m bookmarking this page. Thanks!
11:33 am May 27th, 2010OH MY!! This looks amazing and totally worth the wait. I cannot wait to try it. THANK YOU!
12:52 pm May 27th, 2010I am seriously drooling!
1:21 pm May 27th, 2010Just like you I grew in central California and we ate a lot of artichokes exactly the way you describe: boiled with (way too much) mayonnaise. I need to try the roasted method which I intend to do now that I’ve read your post. Thanks!
1:26 pm May 27th, 2010Ahem, don’t judge but I tend to eat much to much mayo when I steam an artichoke too. I’ll have to try this roasting version, it sounds wonderful!
3:01 pm May 27th, 2010That’s where my share went … you ate them!!
3:31 pm May 27th, 2010Oh my! I have eaten my fair share of artichokes (the good ol’ American mayonnaise method), but never roasted and oh my sweet goodness does it ever sound fantastic!!!
3:35 pm May 27th, 2010I am so glad to get your instructions. I love the artichokes I’ve had, but I’ve never prepared them myself. I’m giving yours a try! Thank you.
6:50 pm May 27th, 2010I wish I lived closer to Gilroy. I love picking up all the artichoke permutations at the Giant Artichoke store. My specialty is Moroccan cuisine, and we include artichoke hearts in many tagines. Great tutorial!
KM
4:47 pm May 28th, 2010my grandparents are from california, moved to oregon and here is were i have been all my life. Reading this was like reading a story i wrote myself. I would really love to try this way of cooking an artichoke, but i am afraid i never will, I LOVE artichokes boiled with mayo(add a little sugar in the mayo and you will never go back, or don’t, cause you’ll never go back) I always think, i’ll try something new, but then i can’t. I will save this recipe cause it sounds fantastic. I want to try it….
2:25 pm May 29th, 2010[...] If you’re like me, and have been craving artichokes like crazy lately but are intimidated when it comes to cooking them for yourself, this post by Pinch My Salt has your name on it. [...]
4:42 am May 30th, 2010This looks amazing. I can’t wait to try it! We always steam, then dip in lemon butter. Mmmm, but this is so beautiful that I am stoked to invite someone over to impress them with it.
Thanks!
6:29 pm May 30th, 2010I love artichokes but have never had them roasted. I am totally trying this!
7:26 pm Jun 7th, 2010I always boil my artichokes as well but am roasting some your way right now! Can’t wait to try it
5:08 pm Jun 9th, 2010[...] May: Roasted Artichokes [...]
8:53 am Dec 29th, 2010I love artichokes and I will definetely try this recipe! It’s artichokes time in Puglia Italy!
1:26 am Jan 16th, 2011I love your blog and recipes……
FABULOUS recipe! One of my favorite foods.
4:41 pm Apr 21st, 2011[...] eat a lot of those tough outer leaves that would get roasted. I did some googling around and found this great step-by-step on Pinch My Salt for roasting whole artichokes. I watched the video too, and followed the instructions to a T, [...]
3:05 am Apr 26th, 2011[...] eat a lot of those tough outer leaves that would get roasted. I did some googling around and found this great step-by-step on Pinch My Salt for roasting whole artichokes. I watched the video too, and followed the instructions to a T, [...]
8:49 am Apr 26th, 2011[...] How to Roast Whole Artichokes [...]
9:52 am May 18th, 2011[...] Roasted Artichokes & Sweet Potato Fries [...]
7:44 pm Jun 10th, 2011These are wonderful! Thanks for the inspiration: http://www.createamazingmeals.com/2011/06/sole-meuniere-with-browned-butter-caper.html
10:57 am Jun 15th, 2011I had roasted artichokes at a restaurant recently that were fabulous and wanted to replicate them. These look even better. Trying it for a dinner party tonight. Thank you!!
9:21 am Jun 24th, 2011i tried the recipe and were fantastic!
2:21 pm Jul 3rd, 2011These are amazing. I’ve made them, from this recipe, many, many times. Sometimes with homemade sauces (a chicken gravy sauce did not improve the artichoke’s health benefits; it did, however, make them even more decadent;), sometimes without.
Tonight they accompanied oven roasted wild Alaskan Salmon (I’m from Seattle) marinated in a combination of olive and peanut oil, cilantro, fresh garden cherry tomatoes and a variety of spices. Topped with a cilantro tomato salsa, fresh greens salad…
Anyway, I could drool all over the keyboard going on about it, and the marvelous artichokes, but really, a heartily felt, “Thank you very much for this amazing recipe and the forethought to share it on the internet,” should suffice.
- Cpt. Danger
10:10 pm Sep 1st, 2011[...] My Salt and her photos and instructions are so great, I won’t try to recreate them. So go here if you’d like to know how to do it. It was pretty simple and I’d never done it. [...]
10:20 am Sep 4th, 2011these look stunning! I think I will have to source a better greengrocer, the 2 I bought were clearly very old compared to yours. I’ve oiled them up and they’re in the oven, hopefully they’ll work ok. I’ve been wanting to try this for ages.
12:23 am Sep 13th, 2011I love your tutorial. I’ve always eaten them the same way as you described, but I think I will branch out and try this idea. I actually have 2 in my fridge right now. I grew up in Gilroy, but I’ve lived in Arizona for 28 years. Sadly, I can only afford artichokes when they are on sale here. Thanks for the tutorial.
8:47 pm Oct 1st, 2011[...] perused the interwebs for an easy recipe, and found this one. So I put my big girl pants on, washed those spikey little suckers and made like the Queen of [...]
3:02 am Oct 13th, 2011the recipe is great! the video helps gather a better understanding, so i appreciated it being there. i will take these directions to the grave. i previously tried steaming artichoke, and the difference is noticeably greater when roasted.
5:03 pm Oct 21st, 2011[...] for 5 minutes. Then supplement balsamic vinegar, stirring frequently until glass is reduced. (Go here for elementary instructions on how to fry your possess [...]
7:22 am Nov 16th, 2011Okay, I have to try these. I started out in California too and LOVE artichokes. My daughters now love them too and we fight over them. We eat them with the leaves dipped in melted butter though (sometimes with a bit of garlic) and I can’t imagine anything tasting better. Artichokes cost a fortune here but I’ll have to invest in a double load soon so we have some for our traditional way and some to try this way.
11:29 pm Nov 19th, 2011Great photos and tutorial, roasting is about the best thing that can be done to an artichoke, next to eating it…..we’ve recently started dipping in a mayo with soy sauce and a touch of tapatio or other hot sauce and its awesome. Thanks!
7:38 pm Dec 15th, 2011Thanks so much for posting this! Also I’d never eaten an artichoke heart before tonight and my god was it delicious. Great recipe and thanks for the video and photos too- it really helped with the process. I dipped mine in balsamic vinegar =d
6:29 pm Jan 15th, 2012I just made these tonight, what a wonderful aroma and taste! Fabulous
3:45 pm Feb 4th, 2012So glad that I found this today. I was looking for something new to do with artichokes. This was delicious. I will be recommending this to everyone who will listen.
10:39 pm Feb 6th, 2012Maybe this is a really dumb question…but do you wash them first?? This looks so delicious and easy I can’t WAIT for artichokes to be in season!
1:39 pm Feb 7th, 2012Caitlin – not a dumb question at all! I do rinse my artichokes well before starting the recipe. Enjoy!
2:22 pm Feb 7th, 2012My husband and I had steamed artichokes for dinner tonight at our (currently unpopulated) resort, along with tilapia baked in pesto. He said it was wonderful, and suggested I plan it for dinner with yams or rice for when we do have guests in the resort. I noted that just the one artichoke, which I split in half and steamed, took up a large steamer, and I just didn’t have the pots to make a large quantity. We both wondered if it was possible to roast them, since we’ve really loved roasting all the other veggies. How lovely to find this website and this method! Now I can’t wait till the season gets under way so I can try it with 20 of the yummy things! Thanks.
8:13 pm Feb 29th, 2012[...] them in mayo. Blech. I hate mayo, maybe that’s why I have an aversion to artichokes. I read THIS post about stuffing artichokes with garlic and lemon then roasting them. Supposedly they’re [...]
7:39 am Mar 1st, 2012[...] I simply googled, “cooking a whole artichoke,” which lead me to the delightful blog, Pinch My Salt. I followed her recipe pretty [...]
1:58 pm Mar 10th, 2012[...] demands, and had super awesome photos of the whole process. All of my requirements were found at Pinch My Salt, a lovely and thoughtful site for recipes and utensil suggestions (I might be stealing this [...]
12:33 pm Apr 2nd, 2012Thanks! I have some in my garden that I need to harvest soon and this looks less labor-intensive than boiling them.
8:13 pm Apr 24th, 2012[...] Roasted Artichoke [...]
7:27 am May 6th, 2012I have lots of artichokes growing in my garden – absolutely love them! I was looking for a way to cook many at once, yet retain and enhance their wonderful flavor. This fit – and they’re in my oven now; the anticipation is hard to take…
10:41 pm May 6th, 2012Thank you for this recipe and video…
OMG! I had these for the first time at Chicago Fire Pizza in Sacramento, CA, only they add parmesan cheese and ceasar dressing… I will be trying this tonight!!
7:55 pm May 7th, 2012