Green garlic and artichoke tagliatelle

Ingredients:

Pasta Dough:

Serves 2 (can easily be doubled for more)

200g pasta flour
110g whole egg (or all egg yolks for an egg rich pasta dough)
Pinch salt

Alternatively, you can use a dried tagliatelle or fresh, purchased tagliatelle

Artichoke Pasta:

Serves 2

2 large artichokes, trimmed and prepped down to the hearts, thinly sliced and kept in a bowl of water with 1/2 a lemon squeezed into it
3 tbls. olive oil + more for drizzling
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced or 1 medium sized shallot, peeled and sliced
1 stalk green garlic or 2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tbls. lemon juice
50ml creme fraiche
Parmigiano Reggiano
Black pepper
1 handful of mixed chopped soft herbs like parsley and mint (could also add small amount of chopped marjoram or oregano, like 1 Tsp.)

Method:

Place the flour and the salt in a bowl and ix and then tip out onto a flat surface. Timber or a timber board are the best surfaces for making pasta dough. Make a well in the centre and add the egg yolks into the well. Mix with a fork at first to slowly incorporate the flour into the eggs and then switch to hands. Knead until the dough comes together and then cover with and overturned bowl for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, continue kneading until the dough springs back to the touch. I find this 15 minute rest helps to hydrate the dough and makes kneading easier. Wrap in a lightly damp tea towel or a piece of baking paper and allow it to rest 30-60 minutes at room temperature. Then roll it through a pasta machine. I rolled mine to the #6 where #9 is the thinnest. Cut into tagliatelle and then dust in semolina flour or plain flour and place onto a tray. Keep it lightly covered and refrigerated if you aren’t going to use it straight away. (alternatively, you can dry it out by hanging it on the back of a chair or on a pasta drying rack and freezing it to use another day).

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.

Prep your artichokes by removing the tough outer leaves and then use a small pairing knife to trim the entire base of the artichoke and down the stem removing anything that feels fibrous or stringy. Cut the top half of the artichoke flower off and then cut it in half and use a small teaspoon to scoop out the hairy and prickly “choke”. Younger or small artichokes may not have a choke at all. Immediately dunk it into lemon water and leave it submerged. Prep the remaining artichoke and then remove the halves from the water and thinly slice on your chopping board and then return it to the water.

Heat a large, wide sauté pan over medium heat. Add 3 tbls. olive oil and the garlic with pinch of salt and sizzle for a minute. Next, drain the artichokes from the water and add them to the pan with the onion. Sprinkle more salt and then cover the pan with any kind of lid and cook them on low/medium heat for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, drop your pasta into the boiling water and cook for about 2 minutes so they are still al dente. Pick the pasta up out of the water using tongs and drop it into the pan with the artichokes. Add the lemon juice, a ladle full of the pasta water, the creme fraiche and the herbs and toss everything together. Taste for seasoning and make any adjustments.

Place the pasta onto a platter or 2 bowls and grate parmesan over the top. Add a drizzle of olive oil and crack of fresh black pepper over the top everything.