This artichoke pasta recipe is an easy, elegant spring dinner. It's tossed in a rich, flavorful lemon butter sauce and garnished with lots of fresh mint.

I got the idea for this artichoke pasta recipe a few weeks back, when my fridge was overflowing with spring artichokes. Jumbo ones, baby ones, and every size in between. One day, I had steamed a few of the large artichokes for this post, and after I finished taking the photos, I stood at the counter, snacking on the meaty leaves dipped in lemon butter sauce.

Of course, I knew that artichokes and butter were a classic combination, but it had been a while since I’d tasted them together. After one bite, I started grinning. The artichokes and lemon butter sauce were a perfect match. I immediately started dreaming up ways to make them into a meal.

Enter: this artichoke pasta recipe. I still had a stash of baby artichokes on hand, so I roasted them up and tossed them with pasta and the lemon butter sauce. Then, I added mint and parsley for fresh flavor and finished it off with pine nuts for crunch. I took one taste, and I was hooked. I think you will be too!

Artichoke Pasta Recipe Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this artichoke pasta recipe:

Pasta, of course! Any long pasta shape will do. I especially like spaghetti and linguine here.
Baby artichokes – If you’ve never cooked fresh artichokes, don’t let them intimidate you! Once you get the hang of it, they’re easy to work with. Find my method for trimming and preparing them here.
Lemon butter sauce – You only need butter, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper to make this rich and flavorful sauce. Make it plant-based by substituting vegan butter.
Parsley and mint – For fresh flavor.
Pine nuts – For crunch.
And salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop!

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

To make this recipe, you’ll start by roasting the artichokes according to this method.

While they’re in the oven, make the lemon butter sauce and boil the pasta, reserving some of the starchy pasta water.

When the artichokes are ready, toss them with the pasta, the sauce, and the parsley, adding pasta water, as needed, if the pasta is dry.

Season to taste, portion the pasta into bowls, and garnish it with pine nuts, fresh mint, and, if you like, some pecorino cheese. That’s it!

Artichoke Pasta Serving Suggestions

Serve this artichoke pasta recipe as a meal on its own, with a slice of focaccia or crusty bread handy for wiping up any sauce that’s left at the bottom of your bowl. It’s also delicious with a simple vegetable side dish like roasted asparagus, roasted radishes, or a salad. It would pair nicely with any of these salad recipes:

Enjoy!

More Spring Pasta Recipes

If you love this artichoke pasta recipe, try one of these spring pastas next:

Artichoke Pasta

rate this recipe:

5 from 9 votes

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 30

Serves 3 to 4

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This artichoke pasta recipe is an easy, elegant spring dinner. Make it vegan by substituting vegan butter and omitting the pecorino cheese.

Ingredients

8 roasted baby artichokes, halved or quartered
Lemon Butter Sauce
8 ounces spaghetti or linguine pasta
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
¼ teaspoon sea salt, more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup reserved pasta water
¼ cup pine nuts
⅓ cup fresh mint leaves, for garnish
Lemon wedges, for serving
Pecorino cheese, for serving, optional

Instructions

Prepare the artichokes and the lemon butter sauce.
Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to the package directions, or until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the starchy pasta water before draining.
Drain and return the pasta back to the pot. Add the artichokes, lemon butter sauce, parsley, salt, and several grinds of pepper and toss to coat. If the pasta looks too dry, add the reserved pasta water, ¼ cup at a time, until lightly saucy. Portion into bowls and top with the pine nuts and mint leaves. Serve with lemon wedges and pecorino cheese, if desired.