Ingredients:

1 lb (drained weight) quartered artichoke hearts, canned

1 TBSP capers

4 Oz calamata olives, pitted and cut in half

4 Oz diced prosciutto OR 6 anchovy fillets (your preference)

4 TBSP Olive Oil 

2 garlic cloves

2 Oz white wine

3 Oz heavy cream

12 Oz of your favorite pasta

Salt and pepper to taste 

Fresh parsley and grated cheese as needed

Directions:

Begin by bringing a pot of water to boil according to pasta directions.

While waiting, drain and pat dry the quartered artichokes.

Place olive oil and garlic in a sauté pan.

Place on low heat until garlic is golden.

Remove garlic and add diced prosciutto (or anchovies, whichever you decide to use).

Sauté until prosciutto is crispy.

If using anchovies, wait until they dissolve.

Add artichokes and sauté for a couple of minutes.

Add capers, olives and wine.

Stir well and cover pan.

Simmer on low for 5 minutes.

Cook pasta Al dente.

Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.

Add pasta and pasta water to sauté pan.

Stir constantly over low flame to avoid sticking.

When most of the water is absorbed, add cream.

Shut off heat.

Adjust seasoning by adding salt and pepper.

Cover pan and let it sit for 5 minutes.

Serve immediately topped with fresh parsley and grated cheese.

Makes 6 servings.

TIPS:

This recipe can be made vegetarian by omitting the prosciutto and anchovies. Add some fresh lemon zest for extra flavor right before serving.

If you like your plate to have more colors, add a few cherry tomatoes (cut in half) when you add the olives.

You can use fresh artichokes for this dish but you’ll need to remove all the hard, outer leaves, leaving only the tender ones; clean out the rough interior; slice the artichoke hearts in segments; and allow to cook until tender (about  15 minutes longer than this recipe).

I use capers in brine. If you use salted capers, rinse salt off under cold running water.