Lemon Artichoke Spaghetti with Bread Crumbs

I saw this recipe for Lemon Artichoke Spaghetti with Bread Crumbs in my friend Christina’s new cookbook- Dinner Just for Two and quickly made it because I almost always have a lemon, spaghetti and artichoke hearts (jarred)  in my kitchen. Also, my husband and I were home alone without Cooper and I felt like I HAD to take advantage of the fact that our pasta + artichoke despising kid wasn’t around to complain.  Dinner for THREE can be so complicated sometimes.

You know what sold me on this recipe? The bread crumbs!

We have a lemony artichoke sauce that’s slightly tangy mixed with creamy Parmesan cheese and bits of crispy breadcrumbs.  The flavor profile reminds me a little bit of a fried artichoke, which I almost always order if I see it on a menu.

For all the times we’re home alone without kid(s), Lemon Artichoke Spaghetti for two is the ultimate love language.

Let’s gather ingredients.

First, we make breadcrumbs if we find out we don’t have them like we thought we did in the pantry.

I pulled croutons from the freezer (best place to store them, btw!) and pulsed them in a mini food processor.

Toast the breadcrumbs in a skillet with olive oil.

Set bread crumbs aside.  Olive oil goes in pan. Garlic and red pepper flakes are introduced.

Hello, jar of artichokes and their juices.  Let’s cook you for a bit and get you all saucy.

Lemon zest gets ready.

Sauce is done!

Hot pasta goes into the mix.

Get that lemon zest in there.

Bread crumbs make their appearance.

HELLOOOOOO

All the things.

Cozy up to a bowl or two.

YUM.

Lemon Artichoke Spaghetti with Bread Crumbs

 

serves 2-3

recipe adapted from Dinner Just for Two

for the breadcrumbs

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1  1/2 cup croutons (or 1/3 cup bread crumbs)
  • salt
  • fresh ground black pepper

 

for the rest:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
  • 12 oz. jar of marinated artichokes, juice included
  • salt and fresh ground black pepper
  • 8 oz. spaghetti
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped (for garnish)

First, make the toasted bread crumbs In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the bread crumbs and toast, stirring frequently, until they are golden brown. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Remove from the pan to cool and set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In the same pan used for the bread crumbs, make the rest of the pasta sauce. Add the olive oil and turn the heat to medium. Saute the garlic and red pepper flakes.

Add the artichoke hearts and the liquid from the jar and cook until sauce reduces and the artichokes are tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the drained pasta to the skillet with the artichokes and toss to combine. Stir in the lemon zest, bread crumbs, and chopped parsley. Taste and adjust for additional salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if desired.

  • Libby

    Ohhhh this is going to be one of those things that I keep in my back pocket and make for dinner on nights when I’m cooking for just myself.
    Look, certain things are just for me. And those things are lemons and artichokes. 😉

    • Sina

      Libby, I wanted to write almost the same! I cannot share my precious artichokes with people who only tolerate them 😉

      I’ll try this for sure!

  • T

    This looks so wonderful! Is the recipe for a full pound of spaghetti?

  • jen

    I’m pretty sure I just found my new favorite meal. Thanks!!

  • Laura

    Just made this tonight with shrimp and it was soooo good. Thank you again for an amazing recipe!

  • Noelle Tesmer

    Is the parm just a topping or should it be added at some point? Can’t wait to try this!!!

  • Sina

    This recipe is awesome! So delicious – and easy too. Made it today and loved it. Those breadcrumbs…! Wow.

    Instead of regular spaghetti I used buckwheat noodles (soba) which seemed weird at first but that was what I had on hand, and it totally worked.

    Thanks for sharing!

  • Nathalie

    I made this the other day and it was absolutely delicious! I will be buying all the ingredients asap so I can make it again. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

  • Jena

    This is such a simple recipe (brilliant for those busy days when you CBA cooking but want something nicer than frozen pizza!) Delish, thank you!

  • Jacqueline

    I stumbled upon this recipe today and had all the ingredients on hand so I gave it a go. Hands down the best lemon artichoke pasta ever. My husband and two growing boys devoured it. I absolutely love this recipe. Thank you for sharing.

  • celebsagewiki

    This looks so good~ Thank you so much for sharing the recipe!

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