Over the course of the past few years, canned chickpeas have become one of my favorite pantry staples. When we were encouraged to stock up a bit on supplies in March of 2020, canned chickpeas were on my list. But I was surprised by how I came to rely on them. They are nutritious…easy to use…and at home in a wide range of cuisines. They also take well to all kinds of cooking methods: they can be pureed, stewed, roasted, or sautéed. I add them to salads, grain pilafs/bowls, soups and stews, vegetable sauté/ragouts and pastas. If I use the last can, I immediately add them to my grocery list.
Like most beans, chickpeas are a bit bland on their own, so they pair well with strong flavors. I particularly love them with bitter things--like brassicas (like cauliflower, kale and broccoli), eggplant and tahini. They are also wonderful with tangy things—like tomatoes, capers and lemon…and salty things—like olives, Feta & Pecorino.
The pasta I’m sharing today features chickpeas and broccoli…with an exuberant mix of strong flavors: sweet caramelized red onion, aromatic and pungent rosemary and garlic, spicy hot pepper flakes, tangy green olives and salty pecorino. I have given the amounts that I use for the aromatic, spicy and tangy elements…but you should feel free to use a heavier hand, always remembering to keep the flavors in balance. The overall effect should be lively and flavorful…just the kind of pasta to warm you during the depths of winter.
The recipe is for just one portion…because these days, my cooking at home is almost always for just one. (As an aside—if you are interested in reading more about how I go about cooking in my small household, I encourage you to consider subscribing to my monthly newsletter: Notes from For Love of the Table.) If you are cooking for more than one, the recipe is easily multiplied to feed as many as you like.
When cooking more than one serving, you will obviously need a larger pan…but the direction given in the recipe will still apply: “choose a pan that will accommodate your vegetables in a snug single layer.” And as far as the cooking of the pasta is concerned, choose a pot that will allow the noodles to move freely in the water as they cook.
You’ll notice that a serving for one only uses a quarter of the can of chickpeas. Drained and rinsed, the rest of the can will keep just fine in an airtight container in the fridge. For longer storage, they can be frozen. They can be easily thawed by placing them in the fridge…or, if you’re in a hurry, by placing them in a sieve and running them under the tap. There is almost always a partial can of chickpeas in my freezer.
Orecchiette with Broccoli, Chickpeas & Castelvetrano Olives
75 to 80 g. (a scant 3 oz.) broccoli crowns
2 T. olive oil, divided
1/4 of a medium red onion (2 1/2 oz.), finely diced (about 1/2 cup)
Salt
1/2 t. minced fresh rosemary (see notes)
1/8 t. hot pepper flakes (see notes)
1 small clove of garlic, minced (see notes)
1/4 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (65 g.)
4 or 5 pitted Castelvetrano olives, quartered
75 g (mounded 3/4 c.) orecchiette
1/2 oz. coarsely grated Pecorino
Prepare the broccoli: Trim the florets away from the stems and cut into uniform, small (3/4- to 1-inch) florets. Trim the tough end off of the stalk (you should only need to trim away about a quarter inch or so—because you are using "crowns" the stalk portion should be almost entirely usable). Cut the trimmed stalks into rough 1/4-inch by 1-inch sticks (or just roughly chop).
In a small sauté pan (large enough to hold all the sauce ingredients) set over moderate heat, warm a 2 to 3 t. of the olive oil. Add the onion along with a pinch of salt (be careful with the added salt in this recipe…the olives and Pecorino are salty…and you will be cooking the broccoli in salty water). When the onion is sizzling nicely, reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent, adding more oil as necessary if the pan seems dry—about 10 minutes. Uncover the pan, increase the heat a bit and cook until the onion has shrunk and is beginning to caramelize around the edges—another 5 minutes or so. If the onions seem dry as they cook, drizzle in a bit more of the olive oil.
When the onions are cooked as directed, add the rosemary, garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant. Drizzle in a little more oil and add the chickpeas, cooking until they begin to sizzle in the onions/oil. Remove from the heat and fold in the olives. Set aside in a warm place.
While the onions cook, bring a medium sized saucepan of well salted water (about a teaspoon per quart) to a boil. When the onions have about five minutes left to cook, add the broccoli stems. Boil for three minutes. Add the florets and continue to boil until the florets are tender—about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Lift out the broccoli (using a bowl sieve), shaking off the excess water as you do, and add to the pan with the chickpeas and onions.
Bring the water the broccoli was cooked in back to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente (8 minutes or so…depending on the brand). Scoop out and reserve a few tablespoons of the pasta water. Drain the pasta. Return the pasta to the pan it was cooked in and scrape in the broccoli chickpea mixture. Stir until everything is evenly distributed. Add a little past water if the pasta seems dry. Fold in the remaining olive oil (plus more if you like). Transfer to a plate and top with the Pecorino. Serves 1.
Notes:
- This recipe can obviously be multiplied to serve more than one. Simply choose a pan wide enough to hold all the ingredients in a snug, shallow (an inch?) layer.
- 75 grams of pasta is a sixth of a pound. If you want more pasta with your sauce, simply cook a little more.
- If your sauté pan is large enough, you may simply add the drained pasta to the sauté pan to toss it with the sauce. (My pan isn’t quite large enough).
- This pasta should be assertive: salty, spicy and aromatic. Feel free to use heaped measures of the rosemary, garlic and hot pepper flakes. I love olives, so I use at least 5 when I make this dish.
- Cauliflower would make a great substitution for all or part of the broccoli.