Cannellini Aglio e Olio with Artichokes

I saw this recipe on Facebook recently, and it looked delicious, filling, and healthy. I gave it a try the other night, and it was really good. I had mine on toasted sourdough, and made some chicken for Ted. Maya had too much lunch that day, wasn’t hungry for dinner, so I don’t know if she would have enjoyed it or not…she’s not a big fan of artichokes. The recipe is from Smitten Kitchen, and her picture is about 15x better than mine. The salad is one my step-mom makes a lot that we really like, with apples and avocado. It was a perfect night for a really fast dinner, because I had to work late. The recipe below serves 2, and I doubled it. This was a good move, because I had leftovers cold for brunch the next day, and Ted took some to work with him. Very tasty.

Cannellini Aglio e Olio with Artichokes

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
• Salt and red pepper flakes
• 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (about 1 3/4 cups)
• Half a 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Grated parmesan or pecorino romano (optional) (OK, not optional in my book, but without this would be vegan)

Directions
Heat oil, garlic, and a pinch or two of pepper flakes over medium-low in a medium skillet. Let cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until garlic is just barely golden at the edges. Add drained cannelini beans and stir to combine. Add salt, to taste. Cook beans in garlic oil for 3 to 4 minutes, adding a tablespoon of water if it looks dry. Stir in artichoke hearts and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, just to warm. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and/or pepper, if needed. Stir in parsley. Eat as-is, ladled over firm slices of toast, and/or finished with parmesan or pecorino cheese.