Instructions

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• While the water heats, place the drained artichoke hearts, ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan, the lemon zest and juice (from the 1 lemon), the minced garlic, 4 tablespoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper into a food processor. Blend until the mixture is combined and creamy but still slightly textured.
• Add the 8 ounces of spaghetti or bucatini to the boiling water and cook according to package directions until al dente. Before draining, reserve ¼ cup of the starchy pasta water, then drain the pasta and return it to the hot pot (off the heat).
• Immediately add the artichoke sauce to the hot pasta and begin tossing to combine so the heat warms the sauce and helps it coat the noodles.
• If the sauce is too thick or the pasta isn’t evenly coated, add some or all of the reserved ¼ cup pasta water to loosen the sauce until it reaches a pesto-like coating consistency.
• Continue tossing for a minute or two until the sauce evenly coats the pasta and is heated through.
• Divide the pasta among plates, sprinkle additional Parmesan over each serving, top with the ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, and serve immediately.