Friday, April 4, 2008

Noodle Love V: Spaghetti Rigati

Adam has cooked for me a few times. There was soup once when I was sick. There were also some sandwiches here and there which, even though that’s not technically “cooking,” I will count because, somehow, a sandwich always tastes better when somebody else makes it for you.

The first time, it was spaghetti. Things started out well enough. Boil some water, add some noodles. Hard to go wrong. But it went downhill after that. He got a jar of spaghetti sauce, unscrewed the lid, and poured the sauce, straight from the jar, onto my plate. He then dropped some noodles on top of the sauce and, to top things off, added some chickpeas. The chickpeas, like the sauce, were unwarmed, and it’s possible they came straight from the can. I’ve worked hard to forget some of the gorier details, so it’s hard now to say for sure.

Because of this incident, I always thought of spaghetti and chickpeas as a sort of ridiculous combination. I ignored Adam’s future requests to add chickpeas to my pasta dishes. But eventually I saw Rachael Ray make Spaghetti alla Ceci, and I reconsidered the issue. Not only did Rachael warm the chickpeas, but she made them a fully incorporated part of the sauce. This was something I could handle. I made the dish.

I now rescind any earlier contempt I showed toward spaghetti and chickpeas. I was wrong. When it’s done right, it’s fabulous. A little wine, some garlic, a pinch or two of red pepper flakes—delicious! I’m not usually too big a fan of spaghetti and tomato sauce because I think it can be boring, but this dish definitely is not. It’s been added to my regular rotation, which isn’t something that happens very often.

Spaghetti alla Ceci
Adapted from Rachael Ray’s Spaghetti all Ceci
serves 2

1/2 pound spaghetti*
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup dry white wine (I used Pino Grigio)
1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce
2 tablespoons chopped parlsey
Grated parmesan, for serving

Cook spaghetti to al dente in salted boiling water.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and onion and sauté until onions begin to soften; add crushed red pepper flakes and garlic. Place chickpeas in food processor and pulse them to a fine chop. Add chickpeas to pan and season them with thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Add wine and cook for one minute, then stir in tomatoes and adjust seasoning. Drain pasta and toss with sauce. Top with parsley and grated cheese.

*I really like spaghetti rigati for this dish. The chickpeas make the sauce thick and a bit chunky, and those ridges really help hold the extra weight.

9 comments:

Patsyk said...

Now that is an interesting way to incorporate chickpeas... I think I might be able to sneak them past the hubby since he's not a big fan of them so I have to get creative to put them in what I am cooking.

Elle said...

Wow--that looks delicious! I love chickpeas, but have never thought of pairing them with spaghetti. Bookmarking this one!

Lore said...

I love any pasta dish, not picky at all *blush* :). What a great idea to add chickpeas!

Anonymous said...

CHICKPEAS??? In spaghetti??

Not for THIS Italian Professional Chef from Brooklyn, NY.

The VERY idea repulses me.

Deborah said...

I would have never thought to add chickpeas to spaghetti, but with my current infatuation with chickpeas, it sounds absolutely delicious!

Anonymous said...

Chick peas are used with pasta in Italy particularly in the south. Many restaurants in Naples have them on their menu.

Anonymous said...

Actually, the person posting as "chiffOnade" trolls the food blogs and ALSO posts as "MrsDocChuck", claiming that her "husband" is a dentist in NYC.

She actually lives in a trailer park in Clearwater, Florida.

She apparently is a SENIOR ADVISER on Ed Levine's SeriousEats website.

Her derogatory and sarcastic "comments" should be ignored.

In other words, DO NOT FEED THE TROLL, "chiffOnade" or her other name, "MrsDocChuck."

Vicarious Foodie said...

anonymous: I've never seen spaghetti and chickpeas on a menu, but then again I've never been to Italy. Good to know this is a recognized dish.

dr. e: Thanks for the information . . . very interesting. This is the second comment she's left me; the first one was even crazier.

Anonymous said...

Dear Vicarious Foodie:

The person posting as "Chiffonade" and "Dr. E." is one and the same: one Charles Treuter, scourge of food blogs everywhere.

Read more about him here: http://www.blogsmonroe.com/food/letter-to-chucky-aka-docchuck/

Sorry he has disrupted yours.