Roasted Baby Artichokes

Flavorful and delicious – these roasted baby artichokes are so easy to make. They will quickly become a go-to side dish any night of the week.

Growing up, my mom always won over the dinner game when she made her stuffed artichokes. They were something of a special treat, though, because they took a while to cook. I tried to make them a few times, but they never seem to come out just like mom’s. Isn’t that always the way? I’ve been testing out some easier ways to get the same satisfaction, and this Roasted Baby Artichoke recipe finally hit the spot!

Artichokes are not necessarily the easiest to clean and prep either. However, switching from full to baby artichokes is one thing that helps makes this much easier to manage.

What is the difference between regular and baby artichokes?

The best thing about baby artichokes is how tender they are. As you might imagine, the smaller an artichoke is, the more tender the leaves. This also means baby artichokes are almost entirely edible.

Whereas, you have to be a bit more careful with regular artichokes. The leaves are a lot tougher and have spiky tops that should not be eaten. They also have the “fuzzy choke” in the center, which will definitely make you choke if you tried to eat it. It is required that you scoop that out when you are dealing with regular sized artichokes.

The great news is this recipe does not require having to deal with any of that. Baby artichokes are just a smaller yet fully mature version of a regular sized artichoke, which means you can eat the choke and the heart. They are sweet and delicious and have higher levels of antioxidants. Have I sold you on this little gems yet?! They are also much easier to clean.

Cleaning Artichokes

• Rinse the artichokes with cold water
• Cut off the spiky tops of the artichoke with a serrated knife or some kitchen scissors (I find this is less of a necessary step with the baby artichokes)
• Pull off the dark outer leaves, snapping them off at the base until you reach the pale green inner leaves
• Use a vegetable peeler to remove the tough outer layers around the stem until you reach the pale layer underneath (again this is less likely to be necessary when using baby artichokes)

Grocery List for Roasted Baby Artichokes

• Baby Artichokes
• Grape Tomatoes
• Garlic
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Bone Broth
• Salt & Pepper, to taste

My favorite bone broth is Kettle and Fire! I use it all the time in a number of different recipes. Check out my Baby Bella Mushroom Sauce and Italian Broccoli Rabe recipes for inspiration. The one below that I use often and use for this recipe is Mushroom Chicken.

These Roasted Baby Artichokes can be made as a side for any meal, but I have to admit I could eat them all myself as a meal on it’s own. The addition of the tomatoes and bone broth bring a delicately sweet flavor to the dish that really balances out the garlic and mild flavor of the artichokes. They are light, delicious and wonderfully addictive – I hope you enjoy!