Pasta With Chickpeas and a Negroni

By Sam Sifton

Pasta With Chickpeas and a Negroni
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks.
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This is a no-recipe recipe, a recipe without an ingredients list or steps. It invites you to improvise in the kitchen.

A drink before dinner? Make a Negroni, then pasta with chickpeas and tomato sauce. First, the Negroni: one part gin, one part sweet vermouth, one part Campari, stirred with ice then strained over ice and garnished with orange peel. Sip! Then peel and chop an onion and sauté it in olive oil with a few cloves of smashed garlic and a spray of salt and pepper. Have another hit of Negroni. When the mixture has just started to brown, add a tablespoon of tomato paste and a 28-ounce can of chopped tomatoes, along with a stick of cinnamon. Stir and simmer away for 10 minutes or so, longer if you can, then add enough cream or half-and-half so that the sauce turns softer in color, running to pink.

Meanwhile, boil some salted water and prepare your favorite pasta (I like shells for this application) until it is just al dente. Drain, then toss in a 14-ounce can of drained chickpeas and stir the whole thing into the tomato sauce, topping with chopped parsley and a sprinkle of red-pepper flakes. Finish that Negroni. Eat.

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Comments

Ian

This was amazingly satisfying. I followed instructions exactly except: I didn't have an onion, so I omitted. We are out of olive oil but I will get some tomorrow. Also omitted tomato paste, tomatoes, cinnamon, cream, pasta and chickpeas, parsley, red pepper flakes. Did have the gin, Campari, and vermouth though! Definitely will make again and again.

Denise Quarles

The Pasta with Chickpeas is well-balanced, but I found I had to double the quantities for the Negroni.

Alan

Made it exactly as suggested, with a hit of half-and-half, using orchiette. Fabulous. A delicious and satisfying meatless dinner that took no time. And, had it not been for this “recipe”, I never would’ve discovered that Campari bottles ready-made Negroni. Just unscrew, pour over ice, add orange slice. So easy, I had two.

chrishpl

Simple but good.

Steve S

An even simpler version of pasta and chickpeas has been a staple in my house for decades: 1. While water boils, mince 2-4 garlic cloves (to taste and depends on size of cloves) 2. Heat about 1/4 cup of olive oil in saucepan on medium-low 3. Add box of large shells to boiling water. Cook al dente 4. Add garlic to oil. Sprinkle in hot pepper flakes if desired (we do). Cook for until garlic is warmed, not toasted 5. Add can of drained chickpeas to garlic/oil. Sprinkle in herbs (dried oregano, basil, jarred “Italian Herbs”, etc.) if on hand and desired 6. When pasta is finished, drain and return about 2/3 to pot. Add oil/chickpea mixture and more oil if dry. Heat on high, stirring, for about 30 seconds. 7. Serve. Add black pepper and/or more hot pepper to taste. That’s it. Cheap and easy. Pantry ingredients and done in the time it takes to cook pasta. And my kids loved it from a young age.

Dave

I love Negronis and have settled on this variation as my favorite. Two parts gin, one part Carpano Antica sweet vermouth, one-half part Campari, two shakes of orange bitters and garnished with an orange peel.

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