20 Artichoke Recipes to Make This Spring That *Aren’t* Spinach-Artichoke Dip

When it comes to cooking fresh artichokes, most of the heavy lifting is really prep work. But, much like cooking lobster, the dirty work of getting past artichokes’ outer armor is well worth it. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Trim the spiky tips of the leaves off and peel away any baby leaves.

Step 2: Using a sharp butcher or serrated bread knife, slice about ¾ of an inch off the top of the choke.

Step 3: Remove the stem or trim a bit off the tip and shave it down with a vegetable peeler.

Step 4: Wash the artichoke under cold running water, gently pulling apart the leaves as you rinse to clean the entire head.

Step 5: Boil the artichoke in a pot of salted water until its outer leaves are easy to remove from the base. You can also steam it in a steaming basket atop a pot of boiling water until tender. Either way, the artichokes will be ready to cook with (or eat plain with a side of melted butter and lemon).

Ready to get cooking? Here are 20 different ways to use artichokes in your next meal.

A half-hour in the oven takes artichokes from hard and fuzzy to crisp and golden brown. You’ll want to make a double batch of the lemon-garlic aioli, trust.

Feel free to marinate your own fresh artichokes in olive oil and various spices in advance. That way, whenever a craving strikes, you can make this pie in just over 30 minutes.

Warning: If you make this side for a picnic once, expect to make it for every future picnic you ever host. Your guests will hold you to it.

Eight tiny sandwiches > one regular sandwich. It’s just a fact. Serve it with plenty of lemon pesto for dipping.

Just as cheesy and indulgent as your favorite party dip, but ten times more elegant. The store-bought frozen puff pastry will be our little secret.

A no-cook dinner that’s basically made of snacks? Yes, please. We’ll bring the Pinot Grigio.

Tangy, creamy goat cheese is just the match for earthy artichokes and robust spinach. Most importantly, it’s ready in 25 minutes.

This starter boasts everything from roasted red peppers to toasted pine nuts, but the real star is the zesty red wine vinaigrette.

Yup, artichokes are even invited to brunch. Come for protein-packed eggs and fresh herbs, stay for alllll the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

We have nothing against jarred pesto, but you won’t be disappointed if you go the extra mile by making spinach-basil pesto from scratch.

We thought there was no way the iconic appetizer could get any more delicious. We’re so happy that we were wrong.

Forget the gloppy bottled stuff. The dressing is made from scratch with tangy Greek yogurt, fresh lemon, garlic and crumbled blue cheese.

This 45-minute gem is begging to be added to your weeknight rotation. Think seared chicken breast over orzo, both swimming with veggies in a zingy cream cheese sauce.

Psst: Did you know you can turn pretty much any green into pesto? Feel free to substitute basil with any soft green, like arugula, spinach or parsley. You can also use toasted almonds, pistachios or walnuts instead of pine nuts.

This take on artichoke dip brings the heat with canned green chiles, but the cream cheese, mayonnaise and sour cream cool it down beautifully. (In case you need more convincing, the bites are topped with bacon.)

It’ll only take you 30 minutes from start to finish if you use jarred artichoke hearts, but this citrusy soul-warmer is definitely worth making with fresh ones, too.

Two spring delicacies united in creamy, cheesy harmony. Up the seasonal ante by throwing some chopped asparagus into the mix.

The short ingredient list and zippy Italian vinaigrette really let the produce shine. Think peppery arugula, sharp red onion, juicy grape tomatoes and marinated artichoke hearts.

Hi, single-skillet dinner of our dreams. We don’t know where we fell for you first: the buttery seared salmon or the decadent coconut milk sauce.

It’s essentially the savory monkey bread of the gods. If the name alone doesn’t convince you, we’re guessing the dreamy trifecta of mascarpone, fontina and Parmesan cheeses in the filling will.