Moosewood's Artichoke Sauce

When my daughter was in her early teens she spent several summers at Ithaca College attending Signature Music Camp. It became a tradition to end the camp season with lunch at Moosewood Restaurant in downtown Ithaca. Years later we discovered this artichoke sauce from one of Moosewood's cookbooks. It's the perfect quick dinner-to-the-rescue kind of recipe that saves us after a sixteen-hour day in the bakery.

Easy Artichoke Sauce

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup butter

4-6 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

5 artichoke hearts (14-oz can), drained and quartered or chopped

2 Tbs. chopped fresh basil or other fresh herb

1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

ground black pepper to taste.

Heat the oil and butter in a saucepan. When the butter has melted, add the garlic and saute or 2-3 minutes, until golden but not brown. Add the artichoke hearts, basil, and lemon juice, and heat gently for about 10 minutes. Add black pepper to taste. Serve over your choice of cooked pasta.