Ingredients for 4 people:350 g spaghetti alla chitarra120 g aged Pecorino cheese4 artichokes2 clove of garlic5 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil1 sprig of parsley1 untreated lemon salt and pepper
Clean the artichokes: use a sharp knife to shorten the stalks, leaving a piece roughly 5 cm long; remove the outer, tougher petals; cut off the tip, the external part around the base below the petals, and the outside of the stalk. Now cut the artichokes in half and if they have a “hairy” part in the centre, remove that as well. Slice them thinly and put them in a bowl with water and the juice of the lemon. In a heavy-bottomed frying pan, large enough to contain the pasta, sauté the cloves of garlic with the olive oil. When they have browned, remove them and add the slices of artichoke, previously drained and patted dry. Pour in ½ a glass of hot water and leave to cook over a moderate heat for 15 minutes. Then, when the artichokes have become tender, season with salt and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling, salted water. In a small bowl (if possible heated), mix the grated pecorino with 8 tablespoons of the water the pasta is cooking in and some freshly ground pepper, stirring until it becomes creamy. Strain the pasta “al dente” (setting aside a little of the cooking water) and toss it in the frying pan with the artichokes for a few seconds. Then add the creamy pecorino mixture and 3 or 4 spoonfuls of the pasta cooking water, stirring quickly to mix everything together well. Serve the spaghetti straight away, nice and hot, with a little more pepper ground on top.