Carciofi col tappo (Artichokes with a lid)

03/10/2025

Artichokes are a classic ingredient in Sicilian cuisine. Today, with our Cesarina Mariolina from Menfi, we’re preparing the famous “cacuocciuli cu’ tappu r’uovu,” or artichokes with a lid.

Typical of the Palermo area, these artichokes are like little treasure chests filled with a delicious stuffing made of cheese, bread, eggs, raisins, pine nuts, and parsley.

Carciofi col tappo (Artichokes with a lid) - steps

First fried and then cooked in a tomato sauce, their preparation is a bit labor-intensive, but it’s absolutely worth it! The final result is a rich and flavorful dish that can be served as an appetizer or a main course.

Carciofi col tappo (Artichokes with a lid)

A typical dish from Palermo cuisine where artichokes become treasure chests of flavor

DifficultyMedium

Preparation time40m

Cooking time30m

Servings4

€

CostLow

Ingredients

8 artichokes
2 tablespoons of grated caciocavallo cheese
2 eggs
Parsley
100 g breadcrumbs
2 garlic cloves
50 g raisins
50 g pine nuts
700 g tomato purée
2 lemons
extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste

Method

Remove the outer leaves of the artichokes, trim the stem to level them so they can rest easily, cut off the spiny top, hollow out the center to remove the choke, and spread the leaves open. Finally, place them in water with lemon.
Meanwhile, prepare the filling with grated caciocavallo or pecorino cheese, breadcrumbs, parsley, raisins, toasted pine nuts, finely grated garlic, eggs, salt, and pepper. Mix everything until you get a thick mixture (if it’s too liquid, add more breadcrumbs).
Dry the artichokes and fill them with the mixture, forming a solid layer.
Heat some oil in a pan and fry the artichokes “upside down” until a golden crust forms (the “lid”).
In a pot, sauté a garlic clove in olive oil (remove it once golden), then add the tomato purée and cook for about 10 minutes.
Place the artichokes stem-side down in the pot, cover with a lid, and cook for 30-40 minutes (depending on the size of the artichokes).
Serve the artichokes while still hot.