Name: Artichoke and Olive Sauce with Conchiglioni
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Italy
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon minced garlic; 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest; ⅓ cup freshly grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish; ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil; 12 ounces dried conchiglioni; Drops of fresh lemon juice to taste; Freshly ground pepper to taste; ¾ cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, chopped (you should have about ⅓ cup); ⅓ cup chopped lightly toasted walnuts; 1 6½ -ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped; 1 cup diced red bell peppers, raw or roasted; ⅓ cup chopped, pitted green or black olives, or a combination

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Cooking One on One

By John Ash

Published 2004

About

This recipe is an excellent demonstration of chopping as both technique and flavor-maker. The sauce isn’t even cooked, but by chopping all these tasty things up small, you end up with a dish that is vibrant and complex in the mouth, full of flavor and texture.

Conchiglioni are shell-shaped pasta, a nice shape for a sauce like this, because the little bits of olive, artichoke, and pepper get trapped inside the shell, making each bite different. This is great for a weeknight supper, b