How delicious is pasta and chickpeas?
Rustic, tasty, full-bodied, one of the most dreamed-about comfort foods on cold days.
Chickpeas are special legumes, their flavor is unmistakable.
Of course: you could make pasta and chickpeas starting from pre-cooked ones, no one forbids it, they’re a great trick for those always in a hurry, but starting from dried ones and soaking them will make your dish special.
It only takes a few ingredients to make a delicious dish, and this first course with chickpeas is truly an incredible example.
There are numerous recipes and regional variations for preparing pasta and chickpeas; I propose my home version, prepared with a sauté of garlic, oil, and chili pepper, with mixed pasta and a part of blended chickpeas to form a creamy sauce, a real delight. Of course, the type of pasta can be changed.
Tips. Dried chickpeas should be soaked for 12 to 24 hours (depending on the type and hardness of the seed) and then cooked for about 3 hours. Here’s some cooking advice: Add a tablespoon of lemon juice to the soaking water, which will limit the loss of B vitamins by the end of cooking; do not reuse the soaking water at the end, but discard it because it contains phytates, substances that inhibit the absorption of some micronutrients.
To shorten the times, I recommend using a pressure cooker. Of course, I’ll give you both options.
Very important, do not add salt, as it can harden them.
But it’s a real shame to give up preparing these legumes, rich in proteins and many beneficial properties!
Chickpeas are considered the protein of the poor because the content is quite high. It is certainly a protein food, with a high percentage of vegetable fats that make them excellent for cardiovascular prevention.
An ally against anemia and to improve circulation and the immune system.
On my blog, you’ll find many ideas on how to cook chickpeas.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Pressure Cooker, Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter and Spring
- Energy 409.26 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 56.03 (g) of which sugars 3.02 (g)
- Proteins 18.00 (g)
- Fat 11.82 (g) of which saturated 1.71 (g)of which unsaturated 3.77 (g)
- Fibers 10.59 (g)
- Sodium 965.38 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 200 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Pasta and Chickpeas
- 11 oz pasta (mixed, broken spaghetti, etc)
- 1.1 cups dried chickpeas (if canned, 18 oz drained)
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 leaves bay leaf
- as needed extra virgin olive oil
- chili pepper (optional)
- 3 cherry tomatoes (or 1 tablespoon of concentrate)
- as needed salt
- pepper
Tools
- Pressure Cookers
- Saucepan
- Ladle
Steps for Pasta and Chickpeas
After rinsing them under cold running water to remove all impurities, place the chickpeas in a large bowl and cover them with room-temperature water.
The recommendation is to soak the chickpeas for at least 12 hours, taking care to change the water at least 2 times during this period.
The ratio is 1:4, so 2 liters of water for 500 g of chickpeas.
To facilitate the softening process of the chickpeas, you can add a pinch of baking soda to the water, which helps break down the fibers present in the legumes.
Once soaking is complete, rinse the chickpeas and drain them, and they are ready to be cooked.
Pour the chickpeas into the pressure cooker, adding water so that it covers the chickpeas by two fingers, with the herbs and without salt.
(Optional herbs like bay leaf, carrot, celery, and onion.)
Close the lid and place on the stove over high heat.
At the first whistle, lower the heat and cook for 25/30 minutes.
“The cooking time depends on the seed: the larger the chickpeas, the more time it will take.”
Turn off the heat and let the steam escape before opening the lid.
Separately, in a pan, sauté the garlic with a bit of oil, add a tablespoon of tomato paste or skinned and chopped cherry tomatoes.
Remove the garlic and add the chickpeas to sauté.
Add the cooking water from the chickpeas, bring to a boil, and cook for 10 minutes.
Add the pasta. (I used mixed pasta; you use whichever you prefer).
Important: always use a wooden spoon to stir.
Adjust for salt.
Stir often to prevent sticking, if you prefer more broth, add more reserved chickpea cooking water.
Serve, and if you like, add a bit of ground pepper with a drizzle of raw oil.
Enjoy your meal.
Tips and Curiosities
Dried chickpeas are rich in proteins, vitamins and help keep cholesterol levels low, so they can be consumed with confidence.
Additionally, chickpeas have low nickel content, so they can be consumed safely even by those who, like me, suffer from this allergy.
If you enjoyed this recipe, click on lots of stars, thank you so much.
See you in my group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/488624465780860
or on my page: https://www.facebook.com/gustoamoreefantasie
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Don’t have a pressure cooker?
If you choose to cook them in a regular pot.
Place them in a pot (ideally an earthenware pot). Cover them completely with water and put them on the stove, on very low heat, then cook for 1 hour (times may vary based on the size and dryness of the chickpeas (the older they are, the longer the cooking time will be).Find it hard to digest chickpeas?
To make your chickpeas more digestible, add 1 bay leaf.
