We first tried this recipe in 2007 when our friend Sandhya served it at a party. The recipe is here: https://www.food.com/recipe/barley-pilaf-with-chickpeas-and-artichoke-hearts-301799
Our modifications: first, we halve the amount of marinated artichoke hearts (to a 6 oz jar), drain, and slice them vertically in half. Second, for the pesto, we prefer Safeway private label brand or Severino brand (available at Whole Foods, see Note 2 below). Finally, we often add the juice of an entire lemon and skip the parmesan. (Sept. 2013)
Note: If you use 1 cup pearl barley instead of quick-cook barley, here are cooking instructions: https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-barley-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-198693 (June 2020)
Note 2: We find that we need to double the amount of Severino pesto for this recipe (from 2 Tbsp to 4 Tbsp, i.e., 1/4 cup). (July 2025)
Cooking Adventures 