Pasta E Ceci Nyt Recipes

PASTA E CECI

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a medium Dutch oven over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the carrots, celery and leeks; cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are wilted, about 5 minutes. Clear a space in the center of the pot and add the tomato paste, rosemary, garlic and red pepper flakes. Let toast for a minute, then stir into the vegetables. Add the chickpeas, lemon zest, bay leaves, Parmesan rind, if using, 6 cups water and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the vegetables are tender, 18 to 20 minutes. Use a potato masher to mash some of the chickpeas until the broth appears creamy and slightly thick, leaving plenty of chickpeas whole, 6 or 7 mashes around the pot should do the trick. Add the ditalini and 1 cup water. Return to a simmer and cook until the ditalini is very al dente, about 7 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice and let sit until the broth is thickened and the pasta finishes cooking, about 5 minutes.
• Remove the bay leaves, cheese rind and lemon zest before serving. Season the pasta e ceci with salt, if needed. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan.

LEMONY PASTA WITH CHICKPEAS AND PARSLEY

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add fusilli and cook until it is just shy of al dente. (It should be slightly underdone to your taste because you'll finish cooking it in the sauce.) Drain well.
• While the pasta is cooking, prepare the chickpea sauce: Place chickpeas in a large bowl and use a potato masher or a fork to lightly mash them; they should be about half-crushed.
• Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add garlic cloves and fry until they are golden brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in onions, rosemary, red pepper flakes and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft, about 10 minutes. Then stir in chickpeas and the cooking liquid, stock or water. Bring to a simmer and cook gently until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in pasta and parsley, and cook until the pasta has finished cooking and is coated in the sauce, 1 to 2 minutes. Quickly toss in cheese, butter, lemon zest, black pepper to taste and salt if needed. Drizzle with olive oil and shower with additional cheese before serving.

CACIO E PEPE

Steps:

• Put a pot of salted water on to boil. In a large bowl, combine the cheeses and black pepper; mash with just enough cold water to make a thick paste. Spread the paste evenly in the bowl.
• Once the water is boiling, add the pasta. The second before it is perfectly cooked (taste it frequently once it begins to soften), use tongs to quickly transfer it to the bowl, reserving a cup or so of the cooking water. Stir vigorously to coat the pasta, adding a teaspoon or two of olive oil and a bit of the pasta cooking water to thin the sauce if necessary. The sauce should cling to the pasta and be creamy but not watery.
• Plate and dust each dish with additional pecorino and pepper. Serve immediately.

CREAMY CHICKPEA PASTA WITH SPINACH AND ROSEMARY

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high.
• In a wide, deep skillet, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the chickpeas, rosemary and Aleppo pepper, if using. Season generously with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until chickpeas start to caramelize at their edges and pop, 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer about half the chickpeas to a bowl. Reserve for garnish.
• Reduce the heat to medium, add the shallots and garlic to the skillet, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are softened, about 3 minutes. Add the heavy cream and cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat, stir in the spinach and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Add the pasta to the boiling water and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the pasta until a couple minutes short of al dente according to package instructions, about 5 minutes. Do not drain the pasta, but using tongs, transfer the pasta directly from the pot to the spinach and cream sauce. Add 1 cup pasta cooking water and the Parmesan, and cook over medium-high, stirring vigorously with the tongs, until the sauce is thickened and the noodles are al dente, about 2 minutes. Add a splash of pasta water to loosen sauce, if needed.
• Transfer to bowls, and top with reserved chickpeas, rosemary and black pepper. Serve immediately, with lemon wedges for squeezing on top.