Mixing The Minimalist

Everyone knows I'm a fan of Mark Bittman's New York Times Minimalist columns, and since reading his recipe for fried chickpeas with chorizo and spinach a few weeks ago, I've been obsessing about another one of his fabulous ideas. The only problem was the potential guilt I'd feel after making such a rich dish for myself...

So, when I was pondering making some sort of something that would make leftovers I could eat hot or cold, I remembered another Minimalist recipe, the risotto-style pasta (which I played with a while back).

I decided to combine the ideas.

I only had a small package of chorizo, so there wasn't really enough fat to fry the chickpeas like in his recipe. I also cheated a bit and used canned chickpeas, since I had them in the cabinet and this was a last-minute idea.

Chorizo Chickpea Green Bean Pasta
• 1/4 pound Spanish-style chorizo, cut into slices or chunks
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 cups dry pasta (like fusili)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 4 cups stock (you may not use all of it)
• 1/2 pound fresh or frozen green beans
• freshly-ground black pepper

In a medium-sized pot, heat the chorizo over medium-low heat until the fat begins to render. Make sure the chickpeas are fairly dry, then add them to the chorizo. Cook until the chickpeas begin to brown, about 5+ minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

Return the pan to the fire, and add garlic, pasta, oregano, and 1 cup of the stock. Stir as if you're making risotto, adding more liquid as necessary, until the pasta's tender.

Add the green beans to the pasta and sauté until the green beans are tender (add a little more liquid if pasta begins to stick to the pan). Stir in the chorizo/chickpea mixture. Serve with the freshly-ground black pepper.