Spaghetti with Artichokes, Garlic, and Parsley

The suave delicacy of artichokes makes a luxurious pasta sauce that can be served with spaghetti—the pasta used for this dish in the far southern region of Calabria, where it is popular—but the sauce’s richness makes it even better served with fresh flat strand pasta such as fettuccine. In typical southern Italian style, this sauce is based on olive oil—pancetta is optional—but the cubes of cooked artichokes can also be simmered in cream to make a delicate cream-based pasta sauce.