Artichokes, pecorino and mint are among the cornerstones of Roman cuisine. Combined together, or often at least in pairs, they are part of the aromas to be savoured at the table of anyone who loves this cooking tradition, wherever they may be.

Ingredients for cacio e carciofi for 4 people

320 g spaghetti
5 artichokes, medium-sized
80 g aged pecorino romano (preferably grated)
1 clove of garlic
1 small onion
3–4 sprigs of fresh mint
1 lemon
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Spaghetti cacio e carciofi — All the ingredients for our spaghetti with the flavours of Rome © Beatrice Spagoni

Method

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to the boil. Meanwhile, prepare the artichokes: cut off the stems and set them aside, remove the tougher outer leaves, trim the tops of the artichokes with a sharp knife, then cut them into wedges, removing the inner choke and any small central thorns. Immediately drop everything into a bowl of cold acidulated water made with the juice of the lemon (to prevent the artichokes from turning brown). Peel the outer layer from the stems, cut them into pieces and add them to the bowl with the artichokes. Peel and finely chop the garlic and onion, then sauté them in a saucepan with 2–3 tablespoons of olive oil.

Add the drained artichokes, cut into thinner wedges, season with salt and pepper and sauté over a high heat for a few minutes, then lower the flame, add the roughly chopped mint leaves (keeping a few back for serving), cover and continue cooking until the artichokes are tender. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in the boiling water. Dissolve the grated pecorino in a few tablespoons of the pasta's cooking water, then pour the resulting pecorino cream over the artichokes, mixing everything together immediately. Drain the pasta and add it to the artichokes, toss well again, scatter over a few mint leaves, a grating of pecorino and a grind of black pepper. Serve the pasta immediately, still steaming.

Spaghetti cacio e carciofi al profumo di menta