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12 medium-sized artichokes (‘Violetto’ are perfect for this recipe)

500g penne rigate

olive oil

150g pancetta cubes, or smoky bacon rashers cut into mm slices

3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

a few leaves of fresh mint and basil, washed, dried and roughly chopped

184ml double cream or crème fraîche

40–50g freshly grated Parmesan cheese

sea salt and black pepper

Put two large pans of water on to boil, each with a generous pinch of salt.

To prepare the artichokes, cut the end of the stem off, leaving 1cm still attached to the bud. Pull away the tough outer leaves until you reach the tender yellow ones. Peel the stalk and trim round the base of the heart. Slice off the top of the leaves just above the heart. Cut each artichoke in half and, if necessary, remove the choke, then cut lengthways through the stem into slices about 1cm thick. Drop the slices into one pan of boiling water and cook for 10 minutes until tender. Check the heart is cooked through by piercing up through the stem, there should be no resistance. Drain in a colander under cold running water to cool them off, then dab dry with kitchen paper.

Pour the pasta into the other pan of boiling water and cook until al dente (with a little bite) – about 10 minutes, or according to the instructions on the packet. While the pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce.

Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan, add the pancetta or bacon and cook until it is on the point of colouring. Add the garlic and toss it with the pancetta for a few minutes. Just before it starts to brown add the artichokes, mint and basil and simmer on a low heat for a minute or two, then add the cream or crème fraîche and season with salt and pepper.

When the pasta is ready, drain through a colander set over a bowl, then put back in the pan with a little of the water it was cooked in (1 tablespoon or so) and pour a little olive oil over it. Season well with salt and pepper. I use tongs to add the pasta to the sauce in the pan so that I can control how much pasta to add for the quantity of sauce, rather than chucking all the pasta in at once. Toss everything together and serve immediately with freshly grated Parmesan.