If you’re serving a delicious pasta dinner, this Italian Artichoke Salad is the perfect starter.
Artichoke hearts are roasted and served over arugula tossed with tomatoes, onion, capers, mozzarella, fresh herbs and a bright lemon-mustard dressing.
It’s a yummy twist on the traditional Italian antipasto!
Italian Antipasto Inspired
In Italian cuisine, an antipasto salad is traditionally served as the first course.
It often contains artichokes and other vegetables along with cured meats, cheeses and olives.
What makes this artichoke salad Italian is the addition of tomato and mozzarella – and of course the Italian seasoning and fresh herbs.
But it’s not a true antipasto – we call it an antipasto-inspired salad recipe!
You could absolutely serve this recipe with cured meats like prosciutto or salami, but we decided to let the artichoke be the star.
And it tastes amazing.
Serve it as the first course of your Italian dinner, or enjoy it with any meal.
We think it’s fantastic with our Sheet Pan Lemon Roasted Chicken Thighs too!
How to Roast Artichokes
This recipe uses canned artichoke hearts, but you could also use frozen.
Just be sure to defrost them and get them as dry as possible before roasting.
Fresh is also an option if you have extra time to trim and prep them!
The key to easy oven roasted artichokes is the seasoning.
You’ll want to be sure they are rinsed and dried, then liberally coated with olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic, salt and pepper.
Roast them at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, flipping them halfway through.
Be sure not to crowd them on the baking sheet if you want crispy roasted artichokes!
Ingredients for Roasted Artichoke Salad
¼ c. extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 14-oz. can or jar artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed
1 t. dried Italian seasoning, divided
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
3 c. fresh arugula
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 medium red onion, cut in half and sliced
3 T. capers, drained
3 T. fresh parsley, chopped
2 T. fresh basil, thinly sliced
2 T. balsamic vinegar
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1 t. Dijon mustard
8-oz. small fresh Mozzarella balls, cut in half
Sprigs of fresh herbs, for garnish
How to Make Italian Artichoke Salad
Preheat oven to 400°F and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper or a Silpat® baking mat.
Pat the artichoke hearts dry and transfer to a large bowl.
Add one tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning, and the minced garlic.
Season with salt and black pepper, to taste. Toss to combine.
Arrange seasoned artichokes on the prepared baking sheet in a single, uniform layer and place in the pre-heated oven to roast until tender and slightly browned around the edges, approximately 20-25 minutes.
While the artichokes roast, combine the fresh arugula, tomatoes, red onion, capers, and fresh herbs in a large salad bowl. Set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the remaining olive oil with the balsamic vinegar, fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and remaining Italian seasoning.
Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and whisk together until emulsified. Set aside.
Remove the roasted artichoke hearts from the oven and cool for several minutes before adding to the salad.
Toss to combine and top with fresh Mozzarella.
Garnish with fresh herbs, if using them, and serve immediately with the balsamic dressing. Enjoy!
Why not try some of our other delicious appetizer recipes?
Some of our favorites from other cuisines include:
Gochujang Grilled Bacon Wrapped Asparagus – if you love bacon, you’ll love these!
Easy Cranberry Brie Bites – perfect to serve year round, but they are especially great for Thanksgiving.
Southwestern Grilled Jalapeno Poppers – stuffed with bacon and cheese, they are to die for!
Italian Artichoke Salad with Tomato and Mozzarella
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper or Silpat Baking Mat
- Measuring Spoon
- Bowl large
- Bowl small
- Spoon
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Serving Dish
Ingredients
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil divided
- 1 14- ounce can or jar artichoke hearts drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning divided
- 2-3 garlic cloves minced
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 3 cup fresh arugula
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes cut in half
- 1 medium red onion cut in half and sliced
- 3 tablespoon capers drained
- 3 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- 2 tablespoon fresh basil thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 8- ounce small fresh Mozzarella balls cut in half
- Sprigs of fresh herbs for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper or a Silpat® baking mat.
- Pat the artichoke hearts dry and transfer to a large bowl. Add one tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning, and the minced garlic. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste. Toss to combine.¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, 1 14- ounce can or jar artichoke hearts, 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, 2-3 garlic cloves, Sea salt and black pepper
- Arrange seasoned artichokes on the prepared baking sheet in a single, uniform layer and place in the pre-heated oven to roast until tender and slightly browned around the edges, approximately 20-25 minutes.
- While the artichokes roast, combine the fresh arugula, tomatoes, red onion, capers, and fresh herbs in a large salad bowl. Set aside.3 cup fresh arugula, 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, 1 medium red onion, 3 tablespoon capers, 3 tablespoon fresh parsley, 2 tablespoon fresh basil
- In a small bowl, combine the remaining olive oil with the balsamic vinegar, fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and remaining Italian seasoning. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and whisk together until emulsified. Set aside.¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Remove the roasted artichoke hearts from the oven and cool for several minutes before adding to the salad. Toss to combine and top with fresh Mozzarella. Garnish with fresh herbs, if using, and serve immediately with the balsamic dressing. Enjoy!8- ounce small fresh Mozzarella balls, Sprigs of fresh herbs
Notes
Nutrition
Hi, I’m Jennifer. I love to cook and entertain. I have a lot of fun sharing traditional food and drink recipes as well as putting a new spin on the classics. I strive to provide easy to make recipes that are perfect for the home cook, bartender and entertainer.