This recipe from Artusi's Scienza in Cucina. Artusi doesn't say how many to use, but does suggest an egg and lemon sauce for them. I'd suggest a pound to serve 4 as a side dish.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- Cardoons (see below for amounts)
- Garlic
- Herbs
- Olive oil
Preparation:
Wash the cardoons, strip away the fibers, and chop them into 2-inch lengths. Boil them until close to fork tender in lightly salted water. In the meantime, mince two cloves of garlic and a bunch of parsley. When the cardoons are done, drain them, and then finish cooking them in a skillet with the 1/4 cup olive oil, the minced herbs, and salt and pepper to taste.If you would like them better tasting and more elegant, pour an egg-and-lemon sauce over them after transferring them to the serving dish. To make the sauce, beat several eggs with the juice of a lemon, heat the mixture over a low flame, stirring constantly, till it begins to thicken, and pour it over the vegetables. If you choose not to use the sauce, at least sprinkle the cardoons with a pinch of grated Parmigiano.
