Fried Chickpea & Rapini Rigatoni
This recipe might set a record for savory-ness and speed. It comes together in about 20 minutes and encompasses a full range of flavor and texture from bitter rapini to bright red chili pepper, crispy pan-fried chickpeas to creamy goat cheese. It’s a weeknight or weekend hero of a dish.
- 14-16 c. water
- 3 tsp. kosher salt, divided
- 10-12 oz. (approx. 4 c.) rigatoni pasta, uncooked
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 3-4 garlic cloves (two smashed and 1-2 minced), divided
- 1 15 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and patted dry
- 1 large bunch rapini (1-1.5 lbs.), bottom 1/3 of stems removed and chopped
- 1/2 c. vegetable broth (avoid vegetable stock or mushroom-based broth, see TIP A below)
- 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
- 2-3 oz. crumbled goat cheese
- 1/8 c. shaved Parmesan cheese
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Bring water to a boil in a 6-8 qt. pot. Add 2 teaspoons kosher salt and pasta. Reduce the heat beneath the pot to medium to maintain a gentle boil and cook pasta until al dente, typically 10-12 minutes. (Proceed to Steps Two and Three while water is boiling and pasta cooking.)
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Warm olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, deep sauté pan or dutch oven until it begins to ripple. Add the 2 smashed garlic cloves and chickpeas. They should immediately sizzle and pop. Partially cover the pan if needed to prevent the chickpeas from jumping out, but leave ample space for steam to escape. Let the chickpeas and garlic sizzle undisturbed for 3 minutes, then reduce the heat to low. Remove and discard the smashed garlic cloves.
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Add the chopped rapini, 1-2 minced garlic cloves, broth, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt to the pan. Stir and let cook 2-3 minutes until the rapini wilts slightly and turns bright green in color. Then add the crushed red pepper flakes and fresh ground black pepper. Let simmer over low heat until the pasta is ready.
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Using a slotted spoon or spider strainer, transfer the al dente pasta from the pasta water to the rapini and chickpea mixture. Stir-in the goat cheese, top with Parmesan shavings, and serve.
TIP A: I love mushrooms, but often not in my stocks or broth. They tend to over-power the flavor making everything taste mushroom-y vs. like the medley of vegetable richness that I prefer. Always check the ingredient list of any vegetable broth to ensure that it does not lead with mushrooms (unless you're making a mushroom-based dish). Vegetable stocks almost always have a high mushroom content so I typically avoid those entirely.
Albert Bevia · March 07, 2018
I am a fan of rigatoni pasta, this dish looks fantastic, and I love the combination of the goat cheese and Parmesan cheese in this, awesome recipe!
off-script recipes · March 07, 2018
Thanks, Albert! I hope you give it a try.