Either you love them, or you don’t. Artichokes can be canned, boiled, fried, marinated or grilled. We like to have a jar of marinated artichokes in our pantry for whenever a recipe might call for them. For dinner, we cooked bacon and had BLTs on homemade bread. On the side we had this impromptu Italian Pasta Salad with Artichoke and also grapes.

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Published September 8, 2021
Updated March 12, 2022
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How to Cook Bacon for a BLT

The way that I cook bacon may be different than the normal but learned this tip from Martha Stewert many years ago. First, preheat an oven to 425 degrees and place a sheet of aluminum foil on a large baking sheet – one with high sides – and then spray the foil lightly with a non-stick spray.

Secondly, lay the bacon pieces on the sheet next to each other and not touching. This night we made two packages of bacon and used three baking sheets for all of the bacon slices. Finally, bake until they are just about to be crispy, around 10-15 minutes at least but keep watching them so they do not burn!

When the bacon is done, carefully remove the pans one at a time from the oven and place on a hot pad. Then place a few pieces of paper towel on a large plate and place each piece of bacon onto the paper towel which will help to soak up any fat drippings.

Additionally, I did not add any extra seasonings to the pasta salad as the olives and capers added quite a bit of sodium to the salad, and the green grapes added a sweetness and freshness to this meal.

BLTs are one of our favorite sandwiches, especially eaten on freshly baked bread, and are one of the most delicious things ever. Click the link below for the recipe I use to make homemade bread.

Homemade Bread

Italian Pasta Salad Recipe

Ingredients for Italian Pasta Salad

1 box bowtie pasta
1/2 cup Kalamata olives
1 can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup capers
1 jar artichokes
1 cup Italian dressing
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 can sweet corn

Italian Pasta Salad Directions

1. Boil water in a 6-Quart pan and then cook the bowtie pasta according to directions on the box.
2. Open a can of sweet corn and pour out the water, then empty the corn into a large bowl.

3. Open a can of tomatoes and drain out the liquid, then pour the diced tomatoes in the bowl. Additionally, fire roasted tomatoes would have been amazing with this pasta salad.

4. Measure and add the 1/2 cup Kalamata olives and 1/4 cup capers into the bowl as they give a saltiness to this recipe without adding seasonings.

5. Shred parmesan cheese and then add it to the bowl.
On the other hand, you can use pre-shredded cheese as this recipe will not become a sauce and the cheese does not need to melt.

6. Stir with a spoon to combine the ingredients in the bowl.
7. Drain a can of artichokes and then add them to the mixture.

Having a few random canned goods in your pantry can help you make salads and pasta dishes when you feel like mixing your meal up. Canned tomatoes can be added to so many dishes. For example, lasagna, soups, bake dish, pizza and more.

When I plan for meals, sometimes an event or situation comes up when I do not use ingredients and those that were once reserved for a meal are now in the pantry as extras. This is not a bad thing, because if you are low on food one week or are asked to bring a dish to pass, you have at your fingertips canned food that you can use! The options are honestly endless.

Our kids are very experimental when it comes to new foods. We typically do not have any issues with them not eating what I make and have had very few issues. But tonight, three of our littles decided that they did “not like artichokes” well before they even ate them. Tyler and I make sure our kids do not decide ahead of time (try folks… we try…) if they do or do not like a food and we really urge them to try one bite before they decide. “You can not say you do not like it if you have never had it” is a popular saying in our house. Just last night my mom stopped by and she ate eggplant lasagna and our kids said that to her! How hilarious is that?!

So, two boys did not want to eat the artichokes and that caused little miss Elliana to also not want to eat an artichoke. Can you relate? Do you share a home with a picky eater? It does not have to be a little! I know I do not like to eat raw onion, clams, oysters, anchovies and liver, but I will eat sautéed onions! Oh yummm… they are the best. You wouldn’t have heard that from me ten years ago! Right mom?!

8. Pour 1 cup of Olive Garden’s Italian dressing onto the food in the bowl and then stir to blend.

9. When the pasta is done cooking, drain it in a sink colander and wait for it to cool, around 5-10 minutes, before adding to the bowl.
10. When pasta is cooled, add it to the bowl and stir to combine.
Here’s to hoping you can try this Italian Pasta salad with artichokes! Serve with an additional sprinkle of cheese and enjoy!
~Monica

Italian Pasta Salad with Artichokes Recipe

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