Method

• 1.
  To prepare the artichokes, mix lemon juice with water in a large bowl. For large artichokes, trim stalk down to 3cm, peeling several layers off the very woody section. For young artichokes, trim stalk by one-third and peel in a similar manner. Remove plenty of the outermost leaves until almost all that is left is the base. Use a knife to expose outer edge of artichoke base, cutting off remaining leaf sections around the base as you do so. Slice artichokes in half lengthways and scrape out stringy fibres in the centre with the tip of the knife. (Young artichokes don’t have these and can be used whole.) Place prepared artichokes into the bowl with the lemon water until ready to use, to prevent them from turning brown.
• 2.
  Fill a large saucepan with plenty of water and place over a high heat. When it comes to the boil, sprinkle in sea salt and cook the pasta until al dente (usually 1 minute less than packet instructions). Retain some cooking water when you drain the pasta.
• 3.
  Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large deep frypan with a lid over a medium heat. Cook spring onion for 3-4 minutes or until starting to soften. Cook artichokes in the pan, then add beans and peas, and cook for 3-4 minutes until beans and peas are tender. Stir in tomatoes and mint. Cook for 3-5 minutes until tomatoes have softened.
• 4.
  Place the vinegar, and sugar with 80ml of water in a small bowl and stir to combine. Pour mixture into the pan and season with sea salt and chilli. Stir to combine. Cover with lid and braise for 5 minutes or until mixture returns to a simmer.
• 5.
  Mix vegetables with the pasta and some of the reserved pasta cooking water. Add a couple of dollops of ricotta to the pasta on each plate, drizzle with a bit of olive oil and scatter over the whole mint leaves to serve.