ARTICHOKE HEARTS WITH SAUSAGE STUFFING

MAKES 4 SERVINGS HANDS-ON TIME 20 MINUTES TOTAL TIME 1 HOUR

juice of 1 lemon

8 artichokes

2 cups strained tomatoes (passata)

1 tsp dried oregano salt and pepper

340 g mild Italian sausages (about 2 sausages), casings removed

1 egg ⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley, divided

1 shallot, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese Fill large pot with water; stir in lemon juice. Tear away tough outer leaves of each artichoke and discard. Cut off the top third of the artichoke, then use a vegetable peeler to trim away the outer layer of the base and green part of the stem; cut stem down to 1-inch length. Using small knife, remove remaining leaves until you're down to the pale centre. Using teaspoon, remove fuzzy centre, the “choke,” keeping artichoke heart intact. Immediately drop artichoke heart into pot (to prevent them from darkening).

Bring to boil over mediumhigh heat; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain well. (Make-ahead: Can be wrapped and frozen for up to 6 months.)

Meanwhile, in bowl, combine tomatoes and oregano; season with salt and pepper. Spoon into 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400°F. In large bowl, combine sausage meat, egg, ¼ cup parsley, shallot and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Divide stuffing among artichoke hearts; transfer to prepared dish. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan; bake until artichokes are tender and meat is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining parsley. (Make-ahead: Can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 3 months.)

PER SERVING (with 2 tbsp sauce) about 480 cal, 28 g pro, 20 g total fat (8 g sat. fat), 47 g carb (20 g dietary fibre, 11 g sugar), 110 mg chol, 1,200 mg sodium, 6.5 mg iron.