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I decided to cook our artichokes and serve with pasta and a bechamel sauce.

4 Artichokes
12oz Spaghetti
1½C Milk
1Tbs Butter
1½Tbs AP Flour
1tsp Salt
3 Basil Leaves
1 Dash Emerils Essence

Peel the artichoke’s outer most leaves and clip the thorny tips from each leaflet.
Boil the artichoke til the artichoke is soft (about 30 mins).

Remove all the outer most leaves from the artichoke and the hairy center.

Bechamel
Add the butter into a hot pot and melt, add flour, whisk thoroughly, add hot milk, sweet basil leaves, emerils essence, and salt, whisk swiftly and bring to a boil.  Boil til creamy, whisking all the time.

Spaghetti
Boil in plenty of salted water for 11 minutes and drain.

Serve the pasta topped with artichoke heart bits, cover with bechamel, add a leaf of sweet basil for garnish.