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Stuffed artichokes have never been simpler with this “yum-o” preparation.

Key Points

• Rachael Ray shares two artichoke recipes: stuffed artichokes and Roman-style artichokes.
• Artichokes are versatile, nutrient-rich and in peak season, making them a great addition to meals.
• Ray’s recipes highlight simple prep, bold flavors and her family’s culinary traditions.

For many years, chef Rachael Ray has been bringing us accessible, delicious recipes that we can’t wait to make at home. One of her specialities is giving options for sometimes overlooked foods. In a new episode of her cooking show, Ray tackles the sometimes-intimidating artichoke, which are currently going through their peak season, and shares two favorite artichoke recipes, including a beloved recipe from her grandfather for stuffed artichokes.

“Artichokes two ways, boom!” announces the ever-enthusiastic Ray as she begins the segment. Artichokes are the immature flower of a thistle plant, and they’re a staple of many cuisines. The edible parts of the plant are the leaves, base and heart. The stem and the “choke,” the piece that surrounds the heart, are inedible and need to be discarded as part of the preparation of the veggie. Once it blooms, the artichoke is no longer edible, but it does produce a beautiful purple flower.

Rachael jumps right into her first recipe, one made by her grandfather, by adding “a ton” of anchovies—that’s eight fillets, by the way—to a heated skillet sizzling with olive oil and butter. She adds plenty of breadcrumbs and “a ton” of parsley. And while she notes that adding cheese is not the usual practice with this recipe, Rachael says her Grandpa Emmanuel used Parmesan (and she likes to mix in Pecorino as well).

After creating the breadcrumb filling, Ray fills two to three medium globe artichokes, which have been trimmed down so they can sit flat on their base, with the mixture. Those stuffed artichokes get settled into a baking dish with some chicken stock. When they’re ready for the oven, she drizzles them with some olive oil and bakes at 425°F for 15 minutes. You can finish the dish by browning a lemon on the skillet and spritzing some juice over the veggies just before serving.

We’re already looking forward to trying this recipe at home, especially since it would be perfect with a simple main dish like a roast chicken or grilled salmon. But that’s not the only method for preparing artichokes Ray shares—and the second recipe might be even easier.

For her next trick, Rachael makes Roman artichokes, which she says “are totally different” from her previous recipe. These artichokes get cooked on the stove with olive oil, oregano, parsley, mint and garlic. With a little lemon juice to add some brightness at the end, the side dish is ready to go in no time. (You can follow the full recipe here.)

If you choose to make one of these recipes—or go for the “two-fer,” as Rachael calls it—you’ll be rewarded with a satisfying and somewhat surprisingly diverse combination of flavors, all made from the same thistly vegetable. We can’t wait to try them ourselves! And we may have to add a few more artichoke recipes to our to-do list—starting with these: