Search Results for: chickpea pasta

I cook as an expression of love and gratitude and hope and memories and nostalgia. I cook because I simply like to cook and express those feelings, and others. I also sometimes cook, not exactly as bribery, but as way to improve my 12-year-old’s mood.   Pasta Carbonara is pretty much a guaranteed mood-booster in our household. I like Pasta Carbonara, the Roman pasta dish of pancetta, egg, black pepper and Parmesan–brilliantly made in way that the residual heat of...... Read more »

...your front door!   Pasta with Green Garlic   If you have access to fresh pasta, buy or make some! I used fresh spinach pasta from a local market but also enjoy this with regular, dried pasta.   Serves 4-6 (or 3 if you love pasta as much as my family does)   5 stalks green garlic, trim the top 1/3 – 1/2 of the stalk and peel away the outermost layer and mince the rest 2 tablespoons butter (or...... Read more »

...black pepper. Boil pasta in generous amount of salted water. Scoop out and save ½-3/4 cup of cooking water and then drain when pasta is al dente. Return pasta to the pan, add peas and bacon, egg mixture and reserved cooking water and mix well. The heat of the pasta will cook the egg and create a lovely sauce. Serve hot with extra cheese if you’d like. Carbonara is traditionally very peppery so don’t be shy with the black pepper....... Read more »

...much you’re using. Turn off the heat before you think they’re quite tender if they’re going to sit for a while before finishing the dish.   3. Cook the pasta until al dente in well-salted, boiling water. If your cream sauce is quite thick, reserve 1/4 cup of hot pasta cooking water and whisk it into the sauce. Drain pasta and toss with vegetables, sauce and herbs. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt/pepper. Serve, topped with remaining Parmesan.    ...... Read more »

...pasta, a favorite shape I use in this chickpea dish and generally have on hand to add to soup–a surefire way to get my son to eat anything even if they’re just a few of them on the plate. Serve this dish with a salad of arugula and/or chicories or other winter salad green to add some color and contrasting flavors to the plate. My idea of a perfect winter meal. Cauliflower Pasta “Risotto” –adapted from Around my French Table...... Read more »

This is quick and delicious. I had a few fava beans sitting around that needed using so added them to this version but they are a bit of a distraction so just use agretti.... Read more »

15 minutes, start to finish, adaptable and delicious and a good reason for having canned tomatoes and small pasta shapes in the pantry. You can use larger shapes and more of it (more like 3 cups of penne). [caption id="attachment_13629" align="aligncenter" width="438"] This version uses tender spring raab for the greens.[/caption]   Variations You can substitute cooked beans/chickpeas for the sausage, to make a meat-free version. You can use parsley instead of basil Delicious choices for tender greens are spring raab, spinach, chard, turnip, beet greens and/or tender kale greens. Enjoy in any combination. Use fresh tomatoes instead of canned Other great small noodle choices are Pipette rigate, Conchiglie (shell), or Orecchiette. ... Read more »

...well for completely different consistencies. Chickpea and Avocado Salad/Sandwich –inspired by twopeasandapod.com This is delicious as a dip, on toasted bread, as a sandwich filling or just as is. You can adapt this in many ways too—add your favorite hot chilies or hot sauce, different spices or herbs, etc. See more ideas for variations above. I particularly like using mint or basil or a combination. Tarragon and chives are good and so is parsley. 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas 2...... Read more »

...or need, simple, quick recipes to avoid eating processed foods, then this might be your class. If you live in Portland, Oregon you can buy this fresh spinach pasta at Pastaworks/City Market. It’s delicious, beautiful and incredibly inexpensive. Pasta with Green Garlic, Butter & Parmesan You use the whole garlic stalk, much like you would a green onion (scallion). The whole plant is tender and delicious so just barely trim it. And if you don’t have pasta you can gently...... Read more »

...very last of the cherry tomatoes a friend shared. And it was a recent facebook post by a friend asking what to do with little bits of different kinds of pasta that had accumulated in his pantry. If you cook (especially small shapes) pasta, like risotto (minus most of the stirring) you get a deliciously creamy result and precise cooking times don’t matter since you’re not after al dente!   This Pasta “Risotto” Template is going to get a lot...... Read more »

Main Dishes   Barley Lentil Soup with Green Garlic and Parsley Bean and Egg Burrito with Greens Bean, Herb and Cheese Quesadilla Japanese Cabbage Pancakes (Okonomiyaki) Caldo Verde (Cabbage and Potato Soup with Chorizo) Cauliflower Pasta “Risotto” Chard Patties aka “Daddy Patties” Chard Stem Gratin Chard Tart Chickpeas & Pasta Corncakes Couscous whatever-you-have-on-hand Salad Crepes with Caramelized Onions and Tomatoes Eggplant, Sweet, Hot and Sour Eggs Poached in Tomato Sauce with Salsa Verde Fried Rice Frittata with Greens Green Risotto...... Read more »

 Note: There are many theories about the best way to cook dry beans. I particularly like this one but find whatever method works best for you! Do give this a try if you are not yet in the habit of cooking beans. I recently borrowed an Instant Pot and was impressed with the way it cooked beans.    The two most important things you can do to get hooked on cooking your own dry beans are: Cook a lot of beans to refrigerate and use over 5-6 days and/or freeze for future use. Let the beans cool in their cooking liquid for at least 1-2 hours. This vastly improves their flavor and texture. You do not need to refrigerate them while they’re cooling. Just leave them in the pot on the stove (with burner off) until they’re cool. Then refrigerate what you think you’ll use up in 5 days and freeze the rest. Keep as much of the cooking liquid as you can–it’s wonderful in soups, as a broth on its own, to loosen up beans when making a spread or refried beans, etc. and it also protects them in the freezer.   Place dry beans in a bowl covered by about 4 inches of cold water. Soak for 4-8 hours (or up to 24). If you can’t get around to cooking them after 24 hours, you can drain them and refrigerate them for another day before cooking with no ill effects.   Drain beans and put soaked beans in a large pot and cover with cold water by several inches. If you have time, add a couple of whole, peeled garlic cloves, a bay leaf and a chunk of peeled onion, but skip if you don’t. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer and let cook covered until the beans are tender, stirring occasionally (this helps prevent some beans from softening before others.) I add salt towards the end of the cooking time and when you do add salt, be generous, as in at least 1 teaspoon sea salt for every 1 cup or so of dried beans. They will likely need more still. The time it takes for the beans to cook will vary depending on the kind/size of bean and the freshness of the dried beans. Pinto types typically take about 30-35 minutes, smaller white and black beans as little as 25. Let beans cool in their liquid (see above). Cooked beans keep in the refrigerator for 5-6 days and for several months in the freezer. To freeze: Fill container (1/2 pint, pint or quart—smaller sizes are good for quicker thawing and for quesadillas, burritos, salads & larger ones are good for soups/stews/chilis) with cooked, cooled beans. Cover with cooking liquid and freeze. Remember to put them out to thaw on the counter in the morning or the night before you need them or run hot water over the container and put the whole chunk of frozen beans/bean cooking liquid in a saucepan and thaw on low heat. Beans do not thaw well in the microwave—they go bad very quickly after thawing this way. Slow-cooked Oven Beans You can cook soaked or un-soaked beans slowly in the oven as well. Cooking time will depend on whether you soaked them and the size/type of bean.   Preheat oven to 275 Put beans in a heavy ovenproof pot for which you have a lid. Cover with water by 4 inches. Add a few cloves of peeled garlic, sprigs of thyme, sage, and/or parsley, a chunk of onion and a generous splash of olive oil. Bring the pot of beans to a boil on the stovetop, then transfer to the oven and cook, covered with just a small crack for steam, until tender. Give the beans a stir after about an hour and check to be sure there's plenty of liquid. Soaked beans tend to take about 2.5 hours with this method and up to 4 hours for un-soaked beans. When tender, remove from oven, salt generously and let cool to absorb salt. Use and store as described above.... Read more »

...cut into bite-sized pieces 1 lb stout pasta, like penne, fusilli or rigatoni 1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar or cheese of your choice or a combination of cheeses Salt and freshly ground pepper Pinch or two red pepper flakes Splash of good olive oil Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt. Add the pasta and set a timer for 3-4 minutes less than the cooking time for the pasta. When the timer goes...... Read more »

Minestrone Talk about a template; minestrone is a bean and vegetable soup and, loosely defined, can use any bean, any shape of pasta (or no pasta), most any vegetable and herb, meat or no meat (diced bacon or a little sausage is good, added when cooking onions) be hearty and stew-like or light and brothy. For me, what makes or breaks minestrone are the beans and the bean broth. You can certainly use canned beans but home-cooked beans with their...... Read more »

...clove of minced garlic some fresh herbs 1 lb pasta   You whisk everything but the pasta together in a bowl. Cook the pasta in plenty of well-salted water. Scoop out about 1/3 -2/3 cup cooking water just before you drain pasta. Put the pasta back in the pot. Add the egg mixture to the pasta along with 1/3 cup (to start) of the hot cooking water and stir like mad for a few seconds. Add more cooking water if...... Read more »

...using some kind of pasta you’ll want to add it to the potatoes so they’re both done at the same time. The pasta can be quite al dente when you drain everything though since it will keep cooking in the oven. When the potatoes (and pasta, if using) are almost tender add the cabbage to the pot. Cover and cook for another few minutes until the cabbage is tender. Drain.   Spread the vegetables in a large baking dish. Pour...... Read more »

...& Pasta Coconut Rice with Corn Corn & Zucchini Fritters Cornbread Eggy Quesadilla (with Herbs) Fried Rice & CSA Fried-Rice w/ Bacon Lentil Soup Margherita Pizza Minestrone One-pot Tomato and Sausage Pasta with Greens Pasta Carbonara w/ Snap or Snow Peas Pasta Primavera Quick Broccoli Orzo Quick Mac and Cheese w/ Herbs (or Veggies) Rutabaga & Parsnip (or Potato/Carrot, etc. ) “Latkes” Spaghetti and Nettle Pie Savory Swiss Chard Pancakes Tomato Bulgur w/ Basil & Garlic Zucchini & Rice Fritters...... Read more »

...  Variations Add vegetables such as peas, broccoli, cauliflower or finely chopped kale or chard about 3 minutes before the pasta is tender. See this cauliflower pasta and this Brussels sprout pasta for similar dishes with vegetables. Serves 2-3   1 1/2 cups tubetti (or ditalini or small elbow macaroni) 3 1/4 cups vegetable broth, chicken stock or water (if using water you’ll need 1/4 teaspoon salt) 1/2 cup heavy cream Plenty of freshly ground black pepper 1 1/2 cups...... Read more »

...a pasta dish with a raw tomato sauce (just blanch a few tomatoes, peel them and whizz in the blender with 2 handfuls of basil and 4 tbs of olive oil and salt) that you toss with room temperature pasta and diced fresh mozzarella. So I cook the pasta in the morning, toss it with olive oil and it’s ready for the sauce and hungry boys in no time. There are infinite ways to split up the dinner cooking whether...... Read more »

...thick and syrupy. Taste for vinegar and salt; then pour this syrup over the vegetables. Deborah suggests serving this with slices of grilled polenta or piled on top of grilled bread that has been spread first with a layer of garlic mayonnaise. See above post for further ways to use, i.e. with a fried egg or blended into a smooth pasta sauce, etc. Serve warm or at room temperature. For breakfast with an egg. For dinner with pasta and basil....... Read more »

...a milder version) or some dried hot pepper if you don’t have fresh ones, to taste 2 small stalks celery, finely chopped 1 teaspoon pimenton (smoked paprika) 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup roasted tomatoes, finely chopped or 2 tablespoons tomato paste or some chopped sun-dried tomatoes 4 cups cooked (or canned) chickpeas, drained 2 cups chickpea cooking liquid (or water, veg or chicken broth) 2 cups canned tomatoes Chopped cilantro and thinly sliced scallion, for serving...... Read more »

...Add more salt (like 2+ tablespoons) than you think necessary. Cook the pasta until al dente. While the spaghetti is cooking heat the olive oil in a large skillet, that will later accommodate all the pasta, over medium heat. Add the garlic and anchovies and stir constantly for about 3 minutes until the garlic is fragrant. Mash the anchovies and garlic up a bit while you stir. Drain the pasta and add to the pan with the garlic and anchovies,...... Read more »

...either alone or in combination–parsley, basil, chives, thyme, tarragon, etc. And this time of year the hearty, leafy greens or leeks (with thyme and goat cheese) are my standby’s. The birthday party frittate from this weekend: kale, chili flake and nutmeg, and sausage and potato. Leftover wedges of a frittata make a wonderful sandwich filling paired with a little arugula, a few slices of onion, and a drizzle of olive oil. If you have leftover spaghetti or other pasta (sauced...... Read more »

...a boil and cook pasta until al dente. Drain pasta in a colander, reserving half a cup of the cooking liquid, and rinse with cold water until cooled. Toss with sesame oil and place in a large serving bowl. Add carrots, pepper, scallion and herbs to the noodles and toss. Pour about half of the sauce over the noodles and toss with a couple of spoons or a pair of tongs, adding more sauce as needed to coat the noodles....... Read more »