Artichoke and Parmesan Dip Recipe

This dip is a perennial and almost guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Serve it with plain crackers, slices of crusty bread, even tortilla chips – any of your favorite dippers. It’s also wonderful with sliced fresh vegetables such as cucumber, bell pepper, and fennel. When I have leftovers after a dinner party, I love to use it as a pasta sauce: just add a little more garlic, a splash of olive oil, and a few spoonfuls of ricotta. For any course, it’s absolutely divine!

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 jar (14 to 16 ounces) whole artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed and patted dry
¼ cup olive oil, plus more for garnish (optional)
1 ½ cups (6 ounces) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 to 3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
¼ cup chopped fresh mint, plus more for garnish (optional)
Grated zest and juice of ½ lemon, plus for zest for garnish (optional)
Sea Salt

Directions

1. In a food processor, combine the artichoke hearts, olive oil, Parmesan, garlic to taste, the ¼ cup min, and the lemon zest and juice and process to a smooth puree. Season with salt, pulsing as needed to combine. If the dip seems too thick, thin with a tablespoon or two of water.

2. Transfer the tip to a serving bowl. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and a bit more lemon zest and/or mint, if you’d like.

Recipe from Small Gatherings by Jessica Strand (Egg & Dart Press, May 2013)

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