See, I know that this doesn’t look particularly impressive…
and “impressive” certainly isn’t a word I would use to describe it (because wow, is it ever easy)…
but here’s the problem: it also doesn’t look that tasty. Even though it really was.
And that’s my fault, because the plan was to plate it with parsley for color and shoot it with, you know, decent lighting…but then we got home late, and et cetera et cetera…
so you’ll just have to take my word on it for this one:
This is some quick, excellent go-to comfort pasta. It’s more or less a basic tomato sauce made meatier and richer with the addition of chickpeas – they add a bit of nutty flavor and heartiness that would make this great for vegetarians (swap out the chicken broth for white wine).
ORECCHIETTE WITH CHICKPEAS (based on this recipe sent to me by reader Emily)
What you need:
1 box orecchiette (or pasta of choice)
1 onion, finely diced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, finely diced
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 large can crushed tomatoes (I like Red Pack)
1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano
Olive oil
Salt + freshly ground pepper
Handful chopped flat-leaf parsley
What you do:
1. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water according to package directions.
2. While pasta cooks, heat a little olive oil in a large pan and add the onion. Saute until translucent, then add the crushed red pepper flakes and garlic. Saute, stirring constantly, until garlic becomes lightly golden.
3. Pulse chickpeas in a food processor until finely ground, then add to pan. Add thyme, salt, and pepper, and fry them, stirring constantly, for about three minutes.
4. Add the chicken broth (white wine works too) and bring to a light simmer. Let the broth cook down a touch, then add the can of tomatoes and let simmer about 10 minutes. Adjust seasoning.
5. Toss pasta with sauce and fold in the parmigiana. I’d recommend adding a little chopped parsley to up the pretty factor.
