What can you do with artichoke hearts?

QUESTION: What can you do with artichoke hearts? Is there an easy recipe to prepare them? -Dean R.

ANSWER: Artichoke hearts are widely renowned as the very tastiest and tenderest part of the artichoke. (That also goes for the top inch or so of the step at the base of the artichoke, once its peel has been removed.) There are possibly more recipes out there that use artichoke hearts than recipes for cooking the leaves or the whole artichoke, as this portion of the veggie is many people’s favorite part or the only part they will eat.

As you review preparation methods for artichoke hearts, keep in mind that you can substitute your homegrown artichoke hearts for canned marinated artichoke hearts without a problem. For that matter, you can substitute pretty much any type of artichoke for another type in a recipe and use them interchangeably, whether the dish calls for hearts or whole artichokes and regardless of whether the recipe specifies frozen, canned, marinated, or fresh artichokes.

Artichoke hearts are delicious as a pizza topping, an addition to pasta sauce, folded into a frittata or omelet, whirled into dips or spreads,  tossed in a salad, smeared onto bread as a topping for crostini, stuffed into a chicken breast with feta or goat cheese, roasted alongside potatoes or other vegetables,  piled onto an antipasto platter, topped with vinaigrette, starring in spinach artichoke dip, baked as part of a cheesy gratin, cooked in a tart or strata, breaded and fried,  tucked into a panini sandwich, or simmered in risotto. The list below has lots more ideas for cooking with artichoke hearts to show you just how wide open the possibilities are.

• 30-Minute Artichoke and Pea Rigatoni Pasta

• Artichoke and Bacon Grilled Cheese Sandwiches from Scrummy Lane

• Artichoke and Bacon Tart from Olive Magazine

• Artichoke and Broccoli Pesto Brie Panini with Thyme Honey from Half Baked Harvest

• Artichoke and Mushroom Lasagna from Taste of Home

• Artichoke and Spinach Cream Pizza from Olive Magazine

• Artichoke and Spinach Dip Chicken Panini from Jeff Mauro on Food Network

• Artichoke Brie Dip from Gramma Jeanne on Food.com

• Artichoke Heart Frittata from The New York Times

• Artichoke Heart Hummus from The Gracious Pantry

• Artichoke Hearts and Onion Omelette (Omelette aux Oignons et Coeurs d’ Atrtichauts) from Babette’sfeast o Food52

• Artichoke Hearts and Ricotta Pie from Greta Ceresini on Food52

• Artichoke Hearts Gratin from Chef John

• Artichoke Hearts in a White Wine Butter Garlic Sauce from Foodness Gracious

• Artichoke Hearts in Lemon-Parsley Sauce from Wiliams Sonoma

• Artichoke Hearts with Hollandaise Sauce and Mint from Foodfanatic on Food52

• Artichoke Hearts with Olive Oil and Peas from Filiz on Food52

• Artichoke Hearts with Parmesan Breadcrumb Topping from The Forked Spoon

• Artichoke Lemon Pasta from Taste of Home

• Artichoke Pie from KiwiWife on Food.com

• Artichoke Ricotta Gratin from Savor the Best

• Artichoke Risotto from Giada de Laurentiis on Food Network

• Artichoke Shakshuka from Wholesomelicious 

• Artichoke Tea Sandwiches from Saveur

• Asparagus Artichoke Salad from Elise Bauer at Simply Recipes

• Baked Artichoke Hearts from Crunchy Creamy Sweet

• Braised Artichoke Hearts by Marie Viljoen on Food52

• Breakfast Strata with Asparagus, Artichokes, Ham, and Gruyere from From a Chef’s Kitchen

• Brie with Artichokes from Taste of Home

• Creamy Spinach Artichoke Pasta with White Beans from Dishing Out Health

• Easy Grilled Antipasto Skewers from TheKitchn

• Easy Skillet Artichoke Spaghetti from An Italian in My Kitchen

• Eggs Mimosa with Artichoke Tapenade from Elise Bauer on Simply Recipes

• Garlicky Roasted Artichoke Hearts from Fine Cooking

• George’s Artichoke Tuna Salad from George Duran on Food Network

• Goat Cheese, Artichoke, and Smoke Ham Strata from  Midwest Living

• Green Goddess Melt Sandwich from Connoisseurus Veg

• Herbed Artichoke Galette from Fine Cooking

• Italian Chicken with Artichokes from The Lemon Bowl

• Italian Chicken Sausage and Artichoke Soup from Sunset Magazine

• Lemon Chicken with Artichoke Hearts from Aida Mollencamp on Food Network

• Lemony Artichoke Soup from Gimme Some Oven

• Marinated Artichoke Heart, Salami, and Provolone Sandwich from Friday Cake Night

• Mediterranean Pasta from Well Plated

• Mushroom Artichoke Sandwich from KY Piano Teacher on AllRecipes

• Olive Artichoke Crostini from Vanilla and Bean

• One Pot Mushroom Artichoke Spinach Pasta from Damn Delicious

• Panini with Artichoke Hearts, Spinach, and Red Peppers from The New York Times

• Pesto Baked Brie with Artichokes and Sun-Dried Tomatoes from Pip and Ebby

• Prosciutto and Artichoke Sandwiches from Sargento

• Roast Chicken Breasts with Mushrooms and Artichoke Hearts from Drbabs on Food52

• Roasted Artichoke Quesadillas from Hilah Cooking

• Roasted Eggplant with Artichoke Hearts and Salsa Verde from Phoebelapine on Food52

• Sausage, Artichoke, and Goat Cheese Egg Bake from TheKitchn

• Sautéed Chicken Paillards with Artichoke Hearts from Bon Appetit

• Spinach and Artichoke Bread Pudding from A Bountiful Kitchen

• Spinach Artichoke Breakfast Casserole with Bacon from Paleo Running Momma

• Spinach Artichoke Egg Casserole from A Spicy Perspective

• Spinach Artichoke Lasagna from Cookie and Kate

• Shrimp and Artichoke Green Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette from Gimme Some Oven

• Shrimp and Artichoke Pasta from Elise Bauer on Simply Recipes

• Spicy Artichoke Pasta from Flavorrd

• Spinach Artichoke Grilled Cheese from Budget Bytes

• Spinach Artichoke Lasagna Roll Ups from Two Peas and Their Pod

• Spinach Artichoke Pierogy Casserole from TheKitchn

• Spinach Artichoke Sandwich from Tasting Table

• Stuffed Artichoke Hearts with Breadcrumbs and Parmesan from Platings and Pairings

• Tomato Artichoke Soup from Vegalicious

• Tomato, Basil, and Artichoke Picnic Sandwich from Love and Lemons

• Tortellini Pasta Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Artichokes from Gimme Some Oven

• Two-Step Artichoke Tapenade from skat5762 on Food.com

• Warm Brie, Crab, and Artichoke Dip from Noble Pig

• White Spinach Artichoke Lasagna from The Stay at Home Chef