Chickpea Pasta With Moroccan Beef Ragu Recipes

CHICKPEA PASTA STEW

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the crushed red pepper, garlic, onion, 1 teaspoon salt and several grinds of black pepper and cook until the garlic is softened and the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the chickpeas and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the chickpeas are coated and heated through, about 3 minutes. Use the back of a wooden spoon to mash about a quarter of the chickpeas; this will help thicken the stew and give it body.
• Stir in the marinara sauce, pasta, lemon zest, Parmesan rind and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally to make sure the pasta isn't sticking to the bottom of the pot, until the pasta is very al dente, about 10 minutes. Stir in the greens and continue to cook until completely wilted, 3 to 4 minutes. Add more salt and black pepper to taste. Divide among bowls, top with the grated Parmesan and some crushed red pepper and drizzle with olive oil.

EASY MOROCCAN CHICKPEA STEW

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add squash, onion and red pepper; cook and stir until onion is translucent and red pepper is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in seasonings until blended., Add chickpeas, tomatoes and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until squash is tender, about 8 minutes. If desired, top with cilantro.

TAGLIOLINI WITH CRAB RAGU

Steps:

• In a saute pan, add olive oil and garlic and saute for 1 minute, until golden brown. Add crabs, oregano, red pepper, salt, and pepper, and continue to saute for 5 minutes. Add crab stock to mixture and continue to saute for 4 minutes. Crab stock should be prepared ahead of time with mirepoix of vegetables and crab shells. Add tomatoes with juice. Stir and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer. Continue to stir until sauce has been brought to a simmer. Cover and cook for 45 minutes. Add basil and remove from the heat. Add frozen peas and stir.
• Boil pasta in water for 8 to 10 minutes until al dente, and strain. For a more velvety sauce, add butter to the pasta before adding the sauce. Make sure the butter has been incorporated well into the pasta before adding the sauce. Season, to taste. Before adding finished sauce to pasta, remove crabs from saucepot and keep warm.
• To serve, add pasta to soup bowl. Top with sauce and lump crabmeat and place 1 or 2 crab bodies on top.

PAPPARDELLE WITH VEAL AND PORK RAGU

Steps:

• 1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and add the butter. Stir in the mushrooms, onions, carrots, celery, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes. Add the diced tomato and cook until soft, about 5 minutes more.
• 2. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the veal and pork. Cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until it is no longer pink. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the wine and cook until the wine is reduced by half. Add the canned tomatoes, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer, uncovered, 40 minutes; stir occasionally and adjust the heat if necessary so the sauce simmers gently.
• 3. When ready to serve, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain. Meanwhile, stir the cream into the sauce, lower the heat, and cook 5 minutes more. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Add the pasta to the sauce and mix well. Serve garnished with basil.

ARANCINI AL RAGU

Steps:

• For the rice: In a medium saucepot over high heat, add the beef stock, butter, salt and saffron. When the stock reaches a boil, add the rice and stir it a bit to prevent sticking. Let it come to a rolling boil and lower the heat a bit to medium. Stir the rice once in a while, you want the rice to absorb all of the liquid; it should take 15 to 20 minutes. Taste the rice; it should be slightly al dente but creamy. Remove the pot from the heat, add the cheeses and stir well. Pour the rice onto a baking sheet and spread into a thin layer. Cover with plastic wrap and let cool, preferably overnight in the fridge.
• For the ragu: Mix the ground beef and pork together with your hands and add salt and pepper generously. Set aside.
• In a medium saucepot over medium low heat, saute the pancetta with the olive oil until the fat is melted. Add the onions and let cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the carrot and celery along with the bay leaf and cook until soft, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Add the ground meat and turn the heat to high. Keep mixing with a wooden spoon until the meat is well done and browned. Add the white wine and stir until it is evaporated. Add the tomato puree and tomato paste in water. Bring to a boil, and then lower the heat to medium, stirring occasionally. There will be some fat that comes to the top. Skim it off with a ladle but you want to leave some for the flavor. Let cook for about 1 1/2 hours.
• About 5 minutes before the ragu is done, saute the peas in a touch of butter with a pinch of salt and add to the ragu. Put the ragu in a bowl and set aside to cool. You can leave it overnight covered in the fridge.
• For the filling and assembly: Portion out cooled rice into identical portions. We weigh ours to 1.6 ounces. Take one portion and form it into a semi-circle in the palm of your hand, making a cup-like shape to place the ragu and mozzarella into. Scoop a generous amount of ragu, about 2 teaspoons, into the half ball and then a few cubes of mozzarella. Take another portion of rice and flatten it into a disk shape. Place that disk over the half ball to enclose the ragu and cheese in the center. Have a bowl of warm water nearby to dip your hands into' it'll make the process easier and less sticky. Roll the ball around to enclose all ingredients in the center and shape into a perfectly round ball. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
• For the batter and breading: Place the flour and 1 1/2 cups cold water into a bowl and add a pinch of salt. Mix with a whisk until smooth and about the consistency of eggnog. Add the breadcrumbs to a large bowl or baking dish. Roll each rice ball in the batter and shake off excess batter. Then roll each ball in the breadcrumbs. Repeat with all the balls.
• Use a heavy duty pot with enough canola oil to submerge the balls in. Make sure the oil isn't near the top of the pot because it will overflow when you drop your balls in. Bring the oil to 350 degrees F, using a high temp thermometer if you have one. If not you can throw a small piece of white bread in to test; it should brown quickly and float when the oil is hot enough.
• Use a slotted spoon or wire basket to lower your balls into the hot oil. Don't overcrowd the balls - maybe 2 or 3 at a time. Fry in batches until they are golden like arancini ("little oranges"), about 5 minutes. Remove and place on paper towels to drain. Eat hot.

FETTUCCINE WITH QUICK RAGU

Steps:

• Pulse the onion, celery, carrot, garlic and rosemary in a food processor until finely chopped.
• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped vegetables and cook, stirring, until softened and golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the veal, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, milk, 1 cup water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the fettuccine as the label directs. Drain the pasta, then toss with half of the ragu (about 3 cups). Top with Parmesan. Reserve the remaining ragu for another use.
• Per serving: Calories 484; Fat 12 g (Saturated 3 g); Cholesterol 48 mg; Sodium 462 mg; Carbohydrate 71 g; Fiber 5 g; Protein 25 g