Monday, April 27: Brothy Chickpeas and Pasta
Soup night! Made a riff on Bon Appetit’s Brothy Pasta and Chickpeas and LOVED it — in fact, I ate way too much and had to lay on the couch for two hours because I was so full (I’m pretty sure I’ve written that exact sentence before… I have a problem hahaha). It’s a super simple recipe but the minimal ingredients create such a flavorful, filling meal. I doubled everything and added kale for some greens, and we topped our bowls with extra parm. So good! (See original recipe here; my adapted version is below.)
Heat up about 1/4 cup olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add 1 chopped onion or 1 large minced shallot and a pinch of salt, and saute for 7-8 minutes. Add in five sliced garlic cloves, 2 sprigs of rosemary (leaves removed and minced), and a large pinch of red pepper flakes, and saute another 5 minutes, stirring often. Add in 5-6 TB tomato paste and stir for a few minutes, letting it caramelize in the oil and coat the onions (you could use a 15 ounce can of tomatoes instead of tomato paste, if desired). Add in two cans of chickpeas (drained and only lightly rinsed), and stir to coat in the tomato paste and onions; saute for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add 12 ounces of orechiette (or small shells or macaroni, whatever small pasta you’ve got!) and 6 cups of chicken broth (or water seasoned with salt). Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to maintain a steady simmer/low boil for about 10-15 minutes, or until pasta is just about tender (depending on pasta shape). Stir often to make sure pasta isn’t sticking to bottom of pot or to each other, and add more liquid if needed, depending on how brothy you want it. The pasta will absorb a lot of liquid and release starch to thicken, creating an almost creamy broth — so good.
When pasta is almost done, stir in one large bunch of Tuscan kale cut into bite-size pieces (or a few handfuls of baby spinach), plus a pinch of salt. Stir and simmer for a few minutes to wilt. Add in about 1/4-1/2 cup grated parm and stir to melt into the soup. Taste and adjust for salt or red papper flakes, and to make sure the pasta is done. Ladle into bowls and serve with extra parm.
Note: as the pot sits off heat, the pasta will continue to absorb liquid, so keep that in mind when deciding on how much extra broth or water to add.
