Creamy Artichoke and Charred Scallion Pasta

By Carolina Gelen

Updated June 21, 2025

  • Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Brett Regot.
Media 1 of 2
Total Time
30 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Rating
4(323)
Comments
Read comments

For a comforting, veg-forward meal, this recipe transforms dozens and dozens of charred scallions into a cheesy pasta dish. Through charring, fresh scallions transition from sharp and savory to smoky, mild and sweet, creating the perfect flavor foundation for a pasta sauce. To speed up the charring process, start with a smoking-hot pan, oil-coated scallions and a grill press or skillet to weigh down the scallions and increase surface contact. For additional body and texture, meaty canned artichokes are stirred with the pasta, along with fresh lemon zest and juice to brighten. A shower of Parmesan at the end will lead to an irresistibly silky, creamy sauce.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 50 scallions (6 or so bunches), root ends trimmed

  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil, sunflower seed oil or grapeseed oil

  • 1 pound gemelli, fusilli or other short pasta

  • Salt and black pepper

  • 2 (14-ounce) cans quartered artichoke hearts, drained and halved

  • 2 lemons, zested and juiced (about ¼ cup juice)

  • 1 ½ cups/6 ounces finely grated Parmesan

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

125 grams carbs; 29 milligrams cholesterol; 813 calories; 5 grams monosaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 20 grams fat; 20 grams fiber; 1345 milligrams sodium; 40 grams protein; 10 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high.

  2. Step 2

    Heat a large, heavy skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium-high. Drizzle the scallions with the oil and toss to coat. Add all the scallions to the skillet and weigh them down using a grill press or smaller pot to increase surface contact. Cook for 10 minutes, tossing every 3 minutes or so, until the scallions have significantly reduced in volume, softened and developed dark char marks all over. Transfer the charred scallions to a cutting board.

  3. Step 3

    Add the pasta and a big pinch of salt to the boiling water, and cook until al dente, which is often about 3 minutes less than what the packaging calls for.

  4. Step 4

    While the pasta cooks, coarsely chop the cooled scallions.

  5. Step 5

    Reserve 2 cups of pasta water and drain the pasta. Transfer the drained pasta to the pot and season with a few cracks of pepper.

  6. Step 6

    Stir in the scallions, artichokes, lemon zest and lemon juice. Sprinkle with the Parmesan, drizzle with 1 cup pasta water, then vigorously stir over medium heat until the sauce becomes glossy and creamy. Add more pasta water and salt, if needed, and serve right away.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
323 user ratings
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Comments

melody

@FH Cyclist not making the recipe as directed AT ALL and then calling it mediocre is so funny and silly

hannah

This was a huge hit with my scallion loving friends! A tip I recommend: use kitchen scissors to cut the scallions! The cooled scallions were slipping all over the cutting board when I used a knife and the scissors were much easier and more effective.

Clark

Thoroughly enjoyed this dish. The charred scallions combined with the brightness of the artichokes and lemon was delicious. Already looking forward to having the leftovers tomorrow night!

Penelope

Charring the scallions was fun, but ultimately this needed a lot of doctoring to get enough flavor to make things interesting. I added green peas, white beans, and a creamy cheese, among other adjustments.

David

Made this w some of the suggested tweaks (used only 8 oz Cavatapi, added chopped olives, reduced the lemon) and a few of my own. Broiled the chopped scallions on a sheet pan. Also added some chopped sun dried tomatoes for some tang and chopped arugula for a bit of color. Was delicious! Thinking that some shredded rotisserie chicken would fit nicely in this, and that it’d be a good picnic dish (served cool).

Natalie

Cut the scallions in half before charring, they are quite long even for a large size cast iron skillet!

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