Artichokes take a little time to prepare, but it’s time well spent for a dish this extraordinary. The filling becomes hot, bubbly, and creamy, like an individual serving of warm artichoke dip for each diner. You can get most of the prep work out of the way well ahead of time, too; the artichokes can be boiled earlier in the morning and baked later or, if you prefer, the whole dish can be prepared a day in advance, as it reheats very well.

　　

Ingredients

4 servings

　　4 artichokes

　　3 lemons

　　10 ounces mild Gorgonzola cheese, at room temperature

　　2 tablespoons heavy cream

　　2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

　　1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

　　1 garlic clove, finely minced

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　3 tablespoons plain bread crumbs

　　1 tablespoon olive oil

　　

Step 1

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Trim the artichokes by cutting off the top inch or so. Cut the stem close to the base of the artichoke so the artichoke can stand upright, and remove some of the tough outer leaves. Using kitchen shears, trim the sharp points off of any remaining outer leaves. Drop the artichokes into the boiling water. Halve the lemons and squeeze the juice into the boiling water, then toss in the lemons. Cook the artichokes until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain the artichokes upside down on a clean kitchen towel and let cool.

　　

Step 2

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the Gorgonzola cheese, cream, thyme, 2 teaspoons of the parsley, the garlic, salt, and pepper. In another small bowl, stir together the bread crumbs and the remaining tablespoon of parsley.

　　

Step 3

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spread the artichokes open with your fingers and use a small spoon to scrape out the center choke. Stuff the cheese mixture into the artichokes and arrange them in a baking dish. Sprinkle the artichokes with the bread-crumb mixture, then drizzle them with the olive oil. Bake until the artichokes are heated through, the cheese is melted, and the bread crumbs are crisp and golden, about 25 minutes. Transfer the artichokes to a serving dish and serve.

　　Reprinted with permission from Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites by Giada De Laurentiis. Copyright © 2008 by Giada De Laurentiis. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Giada De Laurentiis is the star of Food Network's Everyday Italian and Behind the Bash. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then worked in a variety of Los Angeles restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's Spago, before starting her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods. The granddaughter of movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada was born in Rome and grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives.