I love pasta sauces that come together while the pasta is cooking. This one is lovely and wholesome, great for when the weather starts to warm up a little, and one of those that you can make pretty much year-round. The polenta chips, meanwhile, came about when I wanted to bulk up a plate of beans without the mess (and the pan of hot oil) that comes with making chips. The polenta can be made and se...
I love pasta sauces that come together while the pasta is cooking. This one is lovely and wholesome, great for when the weather starts to warm up a little, and one of those that you can make pretty much year-round. The polenta chips, meanwhile, came about when I wanted to bulk up a plate of beans without the mess (and the pan of hot oil) that comes with making chips. The polenta can be made and set ahead, either during the day or the night before, or it will sit happily in the fridge for a couple of days. Orecchiette with chickpeas (pictured above) Sub in other green veg, such as shredded cavolo nero or even sliced courgettes. You can also try adding 100g kalamata olives, pitted and torn into quarters, at the end of the cooking, to add another dimension. Prep 5 min Cook 15 min Serves 4 1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped 3 tbsp red-wine vinegar Salt 350g orecchiette 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped 5 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced 700g jar chickpeas, or 2 × 400g tins, or 250g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight, cooked and drained, reserving a little of the cooking liquor 200g baby spinach, or spinach with the tough stalks removed To serve Chilli flakes Grated hard cheese, such as Spenwood (optional) 1 lemon, cut into wedges (optional) Mix the red onion and vinegar with a pinch of salt, then set aside. Get the pasta on to cook in a saucepan of well-salted boiling water. Meanwhile, set a large, high-sided frying pan on a medium heat, add the oil and onion, and cook, stirring often, for seven to 10 minutes, until it turns translucent. Add the garlic to the pan, cook for a minute, until fragrant but not taking on too much colour, then add the chickpeas and their jar or tin juices (if you have cooked your own, add a little of their stock instead) and warm through gently. Once the pasta is al dente, drain, reserving some of the cooking water, and add the pasta to the chickpea pan. Stir in the spinach to wilt, then loosen the sauce with ...