Pasta with Artichokes and Pancetta

So delicious!

Based on a recipe from The New York Times, Melissa Clark.

Ingredients

• 1 lemon, cut in half
• 4 medium artichokes, or 8 to 10 small or baby artichokes (I used a box of frozen artichokes. I sliced each in half.)
• 8 ounces short tubular or corkscrew-shaped pasta (I used fresh 
• Kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed
• 6 ounces pancetta, diced
• 1 large leek, halved and thinly sliced (I used one large shallot as I didn’t have leeks.)
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, more for serving
• 2 tablespoons dry (white) vermouth or not-too-dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives
• ¼ cup parsley or mint leaves, chopped
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, more for serving
• Fresh lemon juice, for serving

Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil, then cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in pancetta and cook until browned and crispy, stirring occasionally, 8 to 12 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer pancetta to a paper towel-lined plate; leave fat in pan.
3. Drain the artichokes, shaking them well to remove excess water. Raise heat under pan to medium-high, and stir in artichokes, shallot, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and cook until golden brown and tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Reduce heat to low, and stir in vermouth, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of skillet.
4. Stir in cooked pasta, pancetta, chives and parsley. If the mixture seems dry, add pasta water, a little at a time. Stir in more salt to taste, Parmesan and lemon juice to taste.
5. Transfer to serving plates and top with a drizzle of oil, more black pepper, and more grated cheese.