Fresh artichokes are one of my favorite foods, and yet I find myself passing them by at the grocery store, having thought about the work in cleaning them and decided against it. Even baby artichokes require trimming and peeling, then a long cook time. Too much for a weeknight.
This is a time when a good frozen product comes in handy, and I've found frozen artichokes to have good texture and flavor. Plus, they're already trimmed, cooked and even quartered, requiring just a few minutes more heat to get them ready, especially if you pop them in the microwave.
Here they ground a pasta dish, made with shells to mimic the shape of the baby artichokes.
Lemon zest brightens their flavor while a little cream adds richness.
