Artichoke Gratinata

Artichoke hearts are a thing of beauty to me.  They are so incredibly delicious and hidden so well amidst all those protective layers; it is the closest we may come to finding that pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.  However, I love them so much that sometimes I don't want just one (heart, that is).  So last night I opted for an entire batch of them.  This recipe makes for a beautiful side dish - and it is rather painless.  I find them to be so satisfying though, that I was content to pair them with a green salad (topped with the ultimate vinaigrette of course!) and call that dinner.  I prefer frozen vegetables over canned ones, so I warmed these little hearts up in my saute pan along with garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.  After they browned slightly, I simmered them in chicken broth and a bit of Marsala wine.  This is when my kitchen began to smell amazing!  Not being that experienced in cooking with Marsala - after this dish, I will now look into it more.  The Marsala wine straight from the bottle makes me feel as if I am sipping Sunday communion.  But in cooking, it's pretty outstanding as a flavor agent. The recipe called for a topping: bread crumbs (I like using Panko), a bit of butter, and parmesan.  These are all delicious eats by my standards so I knew as I sprinkled this trio atop the gorgeous hearts that smelled so good that I was in for quite a treat.  The whole pan went straight into the oven for about 10 minutes to crisp and brown the topping and that's it.  There were no leftovers to speak of :)  Thanks Giada.

Make it again:  In my opinion, artichoke hearts far outshine peas and carrots as a starlet veggie you can serve to guests you have over.  This recipe will go into my rotation of items to serve to guests, no doubt.  And at the same time, I plan on enjoying them when it's just the two of us as well!

Improvements:  None to speak of at this point.  These were beauties all on their own.

Here's the recipe for you to try:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/artichoke-gratinata-recipe/index.html