Artichoke sauce over linguine

I admit that artichokes have always been a mystery to me. My mother never made them once when I was growing up and even if she did, I wouldn't have touched them with a ten foot pole; corn was the only vegetable that passed my lips back then. Nowadays when I go to the Farmers Market, I eye them as a thing of beauty. Just the form of an artichoke is something to behold. But, I'm still too intimidated to buy the fresh ones and figure out how to prepare them. So yesterday, I bought canned artichokes and used them in to a delicious sauce for linguine. I'm sure that one day I will tackle a fresh one but for now, I'm happy to used the ones that come marinated in a jar or a can. I now offer up recipe number two in the "A" category. This pasta was just awesome. I think the fresh lemon juice and addition of tomato really brought it to life!

Artichoke Sauce with Linguine

¼ cup butter
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup vegetable broth (or chicken for meat eaters)
1 clove garlic, minced
Juice of one fresh lemon
Salt and white pepper to taste
One 14-ounce can artichoke hearts packed in water, drained
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons capers, rinsed, drained
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon salt
1 pound linguine, cooked, drained
1 large, ripe tomato, chopped

Melt ¼ cup of butter with ¼ cup olive oil in saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour until thickened, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low. Add garlic, lemon juice and salt & pepper to taste. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Cut artichokes in to slices. Add with 2 tablespoons cheese, capers and parsley to sauce. Simmer, covered, for 8 minutes. Melt one tablespoon butter with 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in remaining cheese and a teaspoon of salt. Add linguine and chopped tomato, tossing lightly. Arrange linguine and tomato on a platter. Cover with artichoke sauce.