It's a Guy Thing:
Penne with Beer-Stewed Artichoke Hearts - Series 7
A quick dinner. While it's lovely to take artichokes down to their hearts, it's a lot of work...worth it,
but sometimes simply impossible. So keep a jar of prepared artichoke hearts in the pantry,
so you can put together a delicious masterpiece like this one, in the blink of an eye.

What You'll Need
extra virgin olive oil
2-3 cloves fresh garlic, thinly sliced
1 red onion, thin half moon slices
generous pinch red pepper flakes
sea salt
1 large jar artichoke hearts (in oil), drained well, oil reserved
1 bottle dark beer
10 ounces penne
1 small bunch arugula, rinsed well
balsamic vinegar
1/2 ripe tomato, diced, do not peel or seed

Instructions
Place a small amount of oil, garlic and onion in a deep skillet and turn heat to medium.
When the onions begin to sizzle, add red pepper flakes and a pinch of salt and saute until
onions are quite soft and beginning to brown, 5-6 minutes. Stir in artichoke hearts, a pinch
of salt and the beer. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, season lightly with
salt and cook for 15 minutes.

While the artichokes cook, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook penne al dente. Drain well,
but do not rinse. Toss the penne with a small amount of the reserved artichoke oil.

When the artichokes are ready, finely shred the arugula and add to the skillet. Remove from heat
and stir gently to incorporate the arugula into the artichokes. Fold in the penne, with a light sprinkle
of balsamic vinegar and transfer to a serving platter. Serve garnished with diced tomato.
Makes 4-6 servings.