Grilled Artichokes with Lemon & Pecorino

Artichokes are in season in spring and are a delicious additions to delicious dips, pasta, pizzas or eaten on their own. I grew up eating them steamed, peeling them leaf-by-leaf and dipping them in robust Italian dressing or Hollandaise.

This grilled artichoke recipe puts a spin on that by pairing steamed artichokes with a bright, lemony sauce and pecorino cheese. If you have read some of my other recipes then your probably know that I am a firm believer anything is made better with the addition of cheese. When buying artichokes, pick firm ones with tight leaves and bright green in color. Store artichokes in the refrigerator for up to two weeks after purchasing.

Grilled Artichokes with Lemon & Pecorino

Key Ingredients in This Recipe

• Artichokes – I use globe artichokes also called a French artichoke or green artichoke. Look for artichokes with tightly packed leaves. They should feel fairly heavy for their size.
• Pecorino Romano – Pecorino Romano is a hard, salty Italian cheese made from sheep’s milk. It’s aged for less time than Parmesan, resulting in a tangier flavor.
• Garlic – I always use fresh cloves of garlic, the pre-minced jars of garlic don’t taste the same. It loses a lot of the powerful garlic flavor when it’s jarred. This is because it has been soaked in water for a long period of time. Peeling garlic only takes a bit and is worth the time for the flavor.

How to Make Grilled Artichokes with Lemon & Pecorino

Step 1: Trim the artichokes. 

Using kitchen shears trim the sharp tips off the leaves. Remove any small leaves at the bottom of the artichoke and trim the stem. In a large lidded pot fitted with a steamer basket, add enough water to reach 2-inches up the pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Step 2: Steam the artichokes. 

Add the artichokes upright to the pot then cover and steam until the bottom leaves pull away easily, about 35 to 40 minutes.

Step 3: Grill the artichokes. 

Remove the artichokes from the pot and cut in half lengthwise. Heat a grill or griddle on medium-high heat. Brush the artichokes with the melted butter then place on the grill or griddle cut side down and cook until slightly charred, about 5 minutes.

Step 4: Fry the garlic.

In a small pan over low heat, add the olive oil and garlic. Fry the garlic, stirring occasionally until it is crispy and golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Step 5: Whisk the dressing.

Spoon the garlic onto a paper towel lined plate and remove the oil from heat. Let the oil cool slightly then whisk together with the butter, lemon zest, lemon juice and chives.

Step 6: Assemble and serve. 

Arrange the artichokes cut side up on a plate, season with salt and pour half of the dressing over the top. Sprinkle with pecorino and the crispy garlic and serve with the remaining dressing on the side for dipping.

Other Recipes to Try

If you enjoy this grilled artichoke recipe, I recommend checking out some of these:

• Lemon Artichoke Pasta
• Quick Braised Baby Artichokes with Burrata
• Spinach Artichoke Pizza

Grilled Artichokes with Lemon and Pecorino

Print Pin

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Serves 4

US Customary – Metric

Ingredients:

For the artichokes:

• 4 medium globe artichokes, rinsed
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the lemon vinaigrette:

• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped chives
• kosher salt, as needed
• 3 tablespoons freshly grated pecorino cheese

Instructions:

For the artichokes:

• Using kitchen shears trim the sharp tips off the leaves. Remove any small leaves at the bottom of the artichoke and trim the stem. In a large lidded pot fitted with a steamer basket, add enough water to reach 2-inches up the pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
• Add the artichokes upright to the pot then cover and steam until the bottom leaves pull away easily, about 35 to 40 minutes.
• Remove the artichokes from the pot and cut in half lengthwise. Heat a grill or griddle on medium-high heat. Brush the artichokes with the melted butter then place on the grill or griddle cut side down and cook until slightly charred, about 5 minutes.

For the lemon vinaigrette:

• In a small pan over low heat, add the olive oil and garlic. Fry the garlic, stirring occasionally until it is crispy and golden brown, about 10 minutes.
• Spoon the garlic onto a paper towel lined plate and remove the oil from heat. Let the oil cool slightly then whisk together with the butter, lemon zest, lemon juice and chives.

To serve:

• Arrange the artichokes cut side up on a plate, season with salt and pour half of the dressing over the top.
• Sprinkle with pecorino and the crispy garlic and serve with the remaining dressing on the side for dipping.

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