Pasta (Maccheroni Ai Ferri) with Chickpeas

 Ingredients: For the pasta: 100g of durum wheat flour, warm water as needed, a pinch of salt. For the sauce: oil, fresh rosemary, boiled chickpeas, and a little of the water in which they were boiled. Grated Pecorino (any sheep cheese left in the fridge for a bit to harden so you can grate it more easily).

We start with preparing the dough for pasta, an essential process that will influence the final texture and taste of the dish. Mix the flour with lukewarm water, being careful to use water that is not extremely hot, so as not to affect the qualities of the flour. Add salt to the mixture, so that the dough acquires a pleasant flavor. Knead the dough carefully, ensuring that it does not become too hard or too soft. The ideal consistency should be one that allows easy shaping but also has enough elasticity. Once you have obtained a homogeneous dough, form a ball that you will cover with plastic wrap. This will allow the dough to rest for about 30 minutes, thus facilitating the subsequent rolling and shaping.

After resting, take the ball of dough and break off pieces the size of a hazelnut. If you prefer, you can roll out a thicker sheet of dough and cut rectangles of 2x1 cm. Another option is to shape a thin roll, the thickness of a cigarette, which you will cut into pieces of 1.5-2 cm. Any of these methods is acceptable, so choose the one that seems easiest to you.

To form the macaroni, sprinkle a little flour on the work surface and on a stick or a cooking rod. Gently press the piece of dough onto the stick and, using your palm, roll the dough so that it wraps around the rod. It is essential not to press too hard, as you want the dough to easily detach from the stick, allowing it to fall off on its own when ready. Place the obtained tubes on a napkin or on a wooden board sprinkled with flour until you finish shaping all the pasta.

For the filling, you have two options: either use canned chickpeas or dried chickpeas that you have soaked overnight. If you opt for dried chickpeas, boil them in salted water with a few bay leaves or rosemary. After boiling, drain them and blend until you obtain a fine cream, gradually adding water from boiling or vegetable broth to adjust the consistency. If you use canned chickpeas, drain them well, rinse them under cold water, and add them to a pot with water and rosemary. Let them boil for a few minutes, then blend to obtain a creamy paste.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil, add salt, and when the water is boiling, add the macaroni. Let them boil for 1-3 minutes, depending on their thickness. In a pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil with a few finely chopped rosemary sprigs over low heat. Add the boiled macaroni and quickly mix, ensuring they combine well with the flavored oil. After turning off the heat, add a few tablespoons of grated pecorino and mix carefully.

Serve the dish by placing the chickpea cream at the bottom of a deep plate, and on top add the seasoned macaroni. For an extra flavor, grate a little pecorino on top. You can opt for an oil flavored with rosemary or garlic, which you can add over the hot pasta without heating it, thus enhancing the final aroma of the dish. This simple yet refined dish will surely bring a touch of flavor to your meals!

 Tags:  cheese flour oil vegetarian recipes