Jerusalem Artichoke Pasta
Up next in this alphabetical pasta adventure is one of the trickier letters, J. This one did stump me for a bit because, unless I really wanted to try to make a pasta using jam or jelly, or heaven forbid a pasta Jello mold, there aren’t a ton of options when it comes to J.
Luckily, there exists a root vegetable that feels like it would be perfect, Jerusalem artichokes. Jerusalem artichokes, otherwise known as sunchokes, are a species of sunflower grown in North America and has a mild sweet and nutty flavor, think of it as a cross between a potato and an artichoke.
I think using these little chokes for a pasta dish is an excellent idea. My plan is to use the sunchokes two ways, first I’ll make a sauce by simply simmering sunchokes with stock then blending that up, and then I’ll roast some sunchokes along with some pancetta, leeks, and artichoke hearts. It’s not something I’ve actually made before, but I feel good about it.
Serves 4
1 1/2 pounds sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes)
8 oz diced pancetta
1 large leek, white and light green part quartered and thinly sliced
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 cup low sodium chicken broth, plus more if needed
1 pound of any pasta you have
1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
Freshly grated Pecorino Romano, for topping
Chopped fresh parsley, for topping
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and heat the oven to 425 F/220 C
Cut half of your sunchokes into 1/2-inch cubes (No need to peel them, there’s flavor in the skin). Lay those onto a baking sheet, along with the pancetta and sliced leeks. Toss everything in olive oil, salt and pepper, spread out into an even layer, then roast for about 25-30 minutes, or until everything is nicely browned, tossing about halfway through to promote even browning.
Meanwhile, thinly slice your remaining sunchokes. (If you cut them too early, they’ll oxidize and turn black)
Heat a medium saucepan with a bit of oil, then add the sliced sunchokes along with a pinch of salt, then saute for about 3-5 minutes, or until they start to brown. Add the chicken broth to cover, bring that to a boil, then let it simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the sunchokes are very soft. Use an immersion blender to blend until smooth, adding more chicken broth if it seems too thick.
While everything is cooking, boil your pasta as per instructions on the package for al dente, then drain.
Finally, combine the pasta with the sauce, roasted veggies, and artichoke hearts and toss to combine. Season to taste, then serve, topping with grated cheese and parsley.
