Artichoke Picatta

I went back through some recipes I grabbed from Pinterest that we really liked.  I've got a bunch of recipes to add over here.

First up, artichoke picatta from Macheesmo.  I knew that Mr. PB&C wasn't a huge fan of capers so I shorted them a little and added more to mine.  The kiddos liked it as well!  Win-win.

I made the mistake of using a full 16 ounces of angle hair pasta and it really was too much.  12 ounces will give a much better ratio of pasta to goodies here.

2 tbs butter
2 tbs olive oil
1/2 white onion, diced
1 tb AP flour
1 c. chicken stock
2 tbs pesto
1 14 oz can quartered artichokes in water
1/4 c. drained capers
1 14 oz can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 lemon, zest and juice
salt and pepper
12 ounces angle hair pasta
chopped parsley for garnish
shredded parmesan for serving

Bring a large pot of salted water to a simmer for pasta and set it aside for later.

In a second large skillet or pot, add olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook until soft, about 2 minutes.

Add flour to the pot and stir and cook flour for 30 seconds. Then stir in chicken stock and pesto and stir to combine. Turn heat down to medium low.

Add pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente, save 2 cups of pasta cooking water and drain pasta.

Add 1/2 cup of pasta water to pot with sauce and stir. Then stir in artichokes, capers, drained beans, lemon juice, and cooked pasta.

Stir together and add enough extra pasta water to form a sauce that just coats the pasta.

Divide pasta between bowls or plates and top with grated Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, and parsley. Serve with toasted baguette!