Thistles in almond sauce

Clean the thistles and eliminate the hard filaments. Cut into pieces of two to three cm and cook in boiling water until tender. Drain and keep some of the cooking water. In a frying pan reheat some olive oil, add the garlic finely sliced and fry gently until golden. Add the ground almonds and toast lightly, stirring continuously. Add a couple of ladles of the cooking water and let simmer for a couple of minutes. Stir in the boiled thistles and bubble to thicken a bit. Finish with chopped parseley, grated parmesan cheese, almond flakes and freshly ground black pepper. Place all in a baking dish and grill for 15-20 minutes at 180 ºC.