Pasta e fagioli or pasta with beans is a traditional Italian dish. It is usually made with pasta and cannellini or white beans in a tomato sauce. I took inspiration from the pasta+bean concept and turned it into a hearty main dish of pasta, chickpeas and wilted kale.

The easiest way to wilt the kale for this dish is to dunk it into the pasta cooking water just before you are ready to drain the pasta. Then drain the pasta and kale together. Add any kind of fresh greens you like. Vegans can simply leave out the parmesan in this dish.

This goes to Presto Pasta Nights hosted by the lovely Claire of Chez Cayenne.

Tuscan Kale and Chickpea Pasta

serves 4-6

One 14 oz box of whole grain pasta (I used Barilla whole grain rotini)
12 large leaves Tuscan kale or any other variety of Kale, about 2 cups when shredded

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
Crushed red peppers, to taste
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons bottled, pickled capers + 2 tablespoons caper juice      
2 cups of drained, rinsed, canned chickpeas
1/4^th cup dry white wine, optional
1/2 cup water
½ cup grated parmesan cheese

In a large pot, bring plenty of water to boil. Generously salt the water. When the water reaches a rolling boil, add the pasta, and cook till pasta is al dente. Make sure pasta doesn’t over-cook.

While pasta is cooking, rinse the kale, and remove the tough ribs. Stack the kale leaves, roll up the stack, and cut into thin shreds. Set shredded kale aside.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add onion and cook on medium heat till the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Then add crushed red pepper, and garlic. Cook 30 seconds. Add capers, caper juice from the bottle, chickpeas and white wine, if using. Let the mixture boil.

When most the wine has evaporated, add the water. Cook on medium-low heat for about 2 minutes, while mashing some of the chickpeas. Add more water for a thinner sauce.  Stir in parmesan and turn off heat. Taste and add salt if needed. You may not need salt for this sauce because the capers and the parmesan are quite salty.

When the pasta is almost done, dunk the shredded kale into the pasta pot. Let the pasta and kale boil for about 10 seconds. Drain the pasta and kale.

Toss the drained pasta and kale with the chickpea mixture. Serve immediately with extra parmesan for sprinkling.

A typical Italian rollatini or rolatini has ricotta, parmesan and other cheeses and sometimes the eggplants are dipped in egg before pan frying. I cut out the dairy and eggs in this recipe to keep this rollatini vegan. Not using cheese also lightens this dish up considerably. Instead of the cheese, I stuffed the rollatini with a delicious toasted pine nut couscous that Near East sent me to sample.

Take 2 medium eggplants. Cut off the stem end. Slice the eggplant lengthwise into 1/4th inch thick pieces. Discard the two end slices which have too much skin. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the slices

Pan fry the eggplant pieces in a skillet with a little olive oil, till they are golden (sorry, no photo!). Then place the slices on a work surface. Place a spoon of cooked pine nut couscous on one end of the eggplant.

Roll. Repeat.

Place the stuffed and rolled eggplant onto a baking dish that has been spread with margarine or olive oil. Place any extra couscous in the center of the baking dish and inbetween the eggplant rolls. Sprinkle chopped parsley or basil.

Pour a cup of marinara sauce over. Non vegans: sprinkle 3/4 cup of mozzarella cheese at this stage. Bake till bubbling.

Eggplant Rollatini stuffed with Couscous and Pine nuts Recipe

serves about 2

2 medium eggplants
salt and pepper
1/2 cup couscous, uncooked
4 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
2 tablespoons chopped basil or parsley
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce, use more if you like it saucy
2 tablespoons margarine or olive oil + more to cook eggplants

Pre heat oven to 375f.

Cut eggplant lengthwise into 1/4th inch thick strips. Sprinkle salt and pepper. Pan fry the strips on a little olive oil till both sides are golden.

Cook the couscous according to package instructions. Mix in the toasted pine nuts to the couscous.

Place a spoon of the the couscous on one end of an eggplant piece, and roll it. See pictures and instructions above. Repeat with all eggplant strips. Place the stuffed and rolled eggplants onto a baking dish that has been rubbed with a little margarine. Add any left over couscous to the baking dish. Sprinkle basil or parsley on top. Then pour marinara sauce over. Non vegans can add 3/4 cups of shredded mozzarella. Bake till the sauce is bubbly, about 15 minutes.

Note: If you dont want to bother with rolling the eggplants, layer the eggplant, couscous and marinara sauce to make vegan eggplant and couscous lasagna!

When Marx Foods sent me a packet of Marrow beans to sample, I was eager to use them along with crispy fried artichokes. This recipe is inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipe for fried artichoke hearts with fava beans (broad beans). If you havent read Ottolenghi’s new vegetarian cookbook, Plenty, you absolutely must buy it. Its my new favorite vegetarian cook book.

Lets talk about Marrow beans. Theyre also called Marrowfat beans. They are earthy, creamy beans that are great when mashed or pureed. They have a meaty flavor somewhat like pork/bacon. These heirloom beans are used in the Mediterranean and were popular in America in the 1800s. You need to soak these beans over night, then change the water and boil them till tender. Marrow beans will also be great in bean dips, stews or soups.

Ottolenghi’s recipe is based on the Roman Jewish style of cooking artichokes – deep frying them in olive oil. Ottolenghi uses panko bread crumbs; I used Italian flavored bread crumbs because thats what I had on hand. He then serves the fried artichokes with crushed fava beans or broad beans. I serve mine with mashed marrow beans. I think mashed chickpeas or cannellini beans will also be nice. If you dont care for the mashed beans part of this dish, you can serve up these fried artichokes just with some garlic mayonnaise.

For a step-by-step tutorial on how to clean an artichoke heart, see this post.

Crispy Fried Artichoke Hearts with Garlic Mashed Marrow Beans

adapted from this recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi
serves 3-4 as an appetizer

for mashed marrow beans
1/2 cup marrow beans, soaked overnight in plenty of water
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley or basil (Ottolenghi uses mint and dill)
salt and pepper

for fried artichokes
2 jumbo or 4 regular sized artichokes
1 egg
1/2 cup italian flavored bread crumbs or panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grated pecorino romano cheese (or parmesan or grana padano)
extra virgin olive oil for shallow frying
salt

Drain and rinse the marrow beans that have been soaking over night. Place beans and thyme sprigs in a large pot with plenty of water. Bring to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer, place a lid on the pot and let the beans simmer till they are cooked through, about 45 minutes. Drain when done.

While beans are cooking, work on the artichokes. Trim and prepare the artichokes hearts; see this post for a tutorial. Place fresh artichoke hearts in a pot full of boiling water, turn down to a simmer and cook artichoke hearts till they are fork tender, about 7 minutes. Make sure artichokes are not mushy; they must be cooked but still firm. Removed to a kitchen towel and pat dry. If using canned or frozen artichoke hearts, skip the boiling; but pat them dry.

Whisk the egg in a bowl. In a plate, combine the breadcrumbs and pecorino romano. Heat a small skillet with olive oil, about half way up.

Dip artichoke hearts in the egg and coat well.  Then dredge them in the breadcrumb mixture, pressing the breadcrumbs to the artichoke hearts. Shallow fry the artichokes, a few at a time, till they are golden on all sides. Make sure oil is very hot. Remove fried artichokes to a paper towel and sprinkle some salt over them. When you salt the artichokes, keep in mind that the breadcrumbs and cheese are already salty.

Once the beans are cooked, drain them, remove and discard the thyme sprigs and place the hot beans back in the pot. Add all other ingredients for the beans. Mash using a potato masher.

To serve, spread some mashed beans on a platter and arrange fried artichokes on top. Serve with lemon wedges.

I first had this amazing pasta dish at Italia restaurant in Park Pod hotel, Chennai, India. Wanting to recreate the dish at home, I googled around to see if there were similar recipes. To my surprise I found a very similar recipe that is served at the famous Carluccios restaurant in UK! My recipe is inspired by Antonio Carluccios recipe for pasta with courgette sauce and spinach balls on BBC Food

Not only is Antonio Carluccios recipe delicious, it also has a special story behind it..

Everytime someone orders this dish at Carluccios restaurant, 50p (about 75 cents) is donated on the diner’s behalf to the charity, Action Against Hunger. In just 3 years Carluccios has raised 430,000 pounds for the charity this way!  Take a look at their menu for details. (The restaurant sells this dish as penne giardiniera).

I made several changes to Carluccios recipe. Their spinach balls use eggs, I cut that out. Their recipe required fresh spinach leaves, but I used frozen, thawed spinach because i like the texture of frozen spinach better. I also added fresh thyme and extra garlic to the pasta for extra flavor. The fried spinach and parmesan balls are super tasty! You could even serve them as a snack or appetizer. But I love them in the pasta. These are a great vegetarian substitute  for spaghetti and meat balls.

Some tips:

- Timing is important in this recipe because there are 3 elements to it – the pasta, pasta sauce, and spinach balls. Make the pasta sauce first (using olive oil, thyme, garlic, zucchini and cheese) and keep aside. Then work on the spinach balls. Roll the balls and keep them ready to fry.  Then put the pasta to boil. While the pasta is boiling, fry the spinach balls. This way, the pasta and the spinach balls will be done at the same time and you will have al dente pasta and crispy spinach balls just before serving.

- If you want to use fresh spinach, blanch it in boiling water and squeeze dry before using. Refer to Carluccio’s original recipe which uses fresh spinach.

- If your spinach mixture is too dry and wont form a ball, sprinkle a little water. If the mixture is too moist (you probably didnt squeeze the spinach dry enough), try adding more bread crumbs. Keep in mind that if the mixture is too wet, then end result will be oily.

- You can bake the spinach balls if you wish. But it will work better if you formed the spinach mixture into patties for baking, instead of balls. This way, you will get a crunchier exterior in the oven. Ive never baked these before, but I think a temperature of 400-450f should work.

Spaghetti and Crispy Fried Spinach Parmesan Balls Recipe

adapted from this recipe by Antonio Carluccio
serves about 6

For pasta

450g or 1 lb spaghetti pasta
8 tablespoons olive oil
3 sprigs fresh thyme
4 garlic cloves, minced
Crushed red pepper, according to taste
2 zucchini or summer squash cut into thin strips (see picture in post)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt
Pepper

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Generously salt the water. When water boils, add pasta and cook till al dente.

While pasta is cooking, heat oil in a pan. Add thyme sprigs, garlic and crushed pepper and cook for about 30 seconds. Then add the chopped zucchini. Saute for about 2 minutes or till the zucchini is cooked, but still a little crunchy. Turn off heat and stir in grated parmesan, salt and pepper. This is your pasta ‘sauce’. When the pasta is done, drain the pasta and toss with the zucchini mixture.

For Spinach Balls (makes about 24 balls)

1 lb frozen spinach
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1 cup breadcrumbs
a pinch of nutmeg
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt
Pepper
Vegetable oil for frying

Thaw frozen spinach. Squeeze out as much water as possible. Place thawed, dry spinach in a bowl. Add all other ingredients to the bowl, except the oil. Mix well.

Now test the spinach balls. Make one ball from the mixture, heat the oil, and shallow fry it on medium-high heat. If the balls fall apart, you need to add a little more bread crumbs to bind the mixture. If the extra breadcrumb trick didnt work, and the balls still fall apart, add one beaten egg to the mixture.

Form the spinach mixture into balls (see pictures in post). Heat a thin layer of oil in a wide, shallow pan.

Place spinach balls a few at a time and shallow fry them on medium-high heat, turning the balls around till all sides are golden and crisp. Remove spinach balls with a slotted spoon and place them on paper towels.

Serve spinach parmesan balls with the spaghetti.

I wanted to make a comforting, hot dish for those chilly, rainy evenings we’ve had recently. I used a beautiful bundle of asparagus (which is is season now) to make some risotto. Fresh peas would also be great in this dish. You can pretty much use any vegetable you like in this risotto, but my favorites are asparagus, peas or wild mushrooms. I also like to stir in some arugula to my risottos. The fresh, peppery arugula is a nice contrast to the creamy arborio rice.

I used a crisp, dry, Gavi white wine in the risotto. I then served the same wine with the risotto.

Below: check out the cute dishes I picked up at the local thrift store! They were perfect for serving risotto. I’m not sure what the spout is meant for, but it works well as a spoon rest. Next time, I think I’ll use these dishes for baked eggs.

Perfect Risotto Tips

- use a short grain risotto rice like arborio, carnaroli or violone
- take care not to brown the rice while cooking it in butter
- always use simmering hot stock, not cold stock
- make sure you only add one ladle full (about 1/2 cup) of stock at a time
- use a good quality dry white wine. I used a Gavi; a crisp, dry white wine from Italy.
- the wine must be at room temperature. Don’t add cold wine to risotto!
- don’t stir the risotto too much while its cooking (but do stir occasionaly!)
- risotto is done when it looks creamy, but the rice is still slightly al-dente
- for a creamier risotto stir in a little butter or cream at the end

Note: I dont like soupy risotto, so I cooked mine very aldente as you can see in the photo above. But the recipe below will give you a creamier, more moist risotto, which is how traditional risotto should be.

Asparagus and Lemon Risotto with Arugula Recipe
serves about 4

10 cups vegetable stock
1 1/2 cups chopped asparagus
4 tablespoons butter
2 cups arborio or carnaroli or vialone rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup arugula leaves, shredded
1/4 cup or more grated Parmesan
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
salt

Place vegetable stock on a large pot and bring to a gentle boil. Place the chopped asparagus in the stock and blanch for about a minute. Asparagus should be bright green and still crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove the asparagus from the stock and keep aside. Reduce heat and keep the stock on simmer.

In a skillet, heat the butter and add arborio rice. Stir the rice on medium heat for about 2 minutes, or till it is fragrant (but don’t let the rice brown). Add wine to the rice and let is bubble away. When most the wine has evaporated, add one ladle of the simmering stock to the rice. Cook on medium-high heat. When the rice has absorbed most the stock, add another ladle full of stock. Repeat this process till the rice has cooked through (you may not use up all the stock).  Check the rice for doneness as you go. When the rice is done, stir in arugula, parmesan, lemon juice, zest and salt.

eeeks! I misspelled ‘obsession’ But that’s the charm of homemade canned food.

I always use newly opened cans to serve the pasta in. I transfer the contents to another container for use later. (If you are using tomato cans, just use the tomatoes for the sauce recipe)

Ingredients

Pasta – 1 box, I used Penne
Onion – 1 large
Garlic – 6 cloves
Carrots – 2
Celery – 2 stalks
Red Bell Pepper – 2
Tomato – 3
Broccoli – 1 floret
Pine Nuts – 1/4 cup, substitute with cashews or almonds
Olive Oil – 4 tbsp
Water – 3 cups
Marsala Wine – 2 splashes, optional
Basil – 1/2 cup
Parsley – 2 tbsp
Salt – 1 tbsp
Pepper

Finely chop the onions and chop all other vegetables into chunks. Toast the pine nuts in a skillet on low heat untill they turn light brown.

Boil pasta in plenty of salted water, till al dente. If you are not using the pasta immediately, wash it in cold water and set aside.

In a large wok, heat the oil. Add the onions and fry on medium high heat till they turn golden brown – about 5 minutes. Make sure you take the time to caramelize the onions, they add a nice sweetness to the sauce.

When the onions are well browned, add the garlic and saute 1 minute. Then add all chopped vegetables. Saute on medium high for 7 minutes. Then add the salt, and marsala wine and cook till the wine evaporates, about 2 minutes.

Pour in the water and let it boil. Then reduce heat and let the vegetables simmer for about 5 minutes.

Cool the vegetables slightly and place them in a blender. Blend till they are pureed. Return the vegetable puree to the wok. Simmer on low heat. At this point, the sauce will boil and splatter, so cover with a lid of aluminum foil. Let the sauce simmer on low heat for about 12 minutes, stir once or twice. (Now is a good time to start boiling the pasta).

While the sauce is simmering, blend the pine nuts into a smooth puree with a little water. Add the pine nut puree to the vegetable sauce in the last 2 minutes of cooking. You want a thick sauce, like the consistency of marinara. If your sauce is too runny, simmer it longer.

Turn off heat and stir in chopped basil, parsley and cracked pepper.

To serve, spoon the vegetable sauce over the pasta and garnish with basil.

Its very easy to make the cans to serve in. Always use newly opened cans, old ones may rust. Soak tomato or other cans in very hot soapy water for about 1 hour. Peel the labels and let the cans air dry. Print out your own labels and cut them to the can size. Using 3 dots of super glue on one end of the label, stick the label to the can and wrap it around the can firmly. Using 3 more dots of super glue, stick the other end to the can. Warning: Cans may have jagged rims, so be careful.

Did I win Battle Boyardee?

White Pizza

There is a little Italian restaurant near my house. Its owned by a Pakistani, so we call it Pakistani Italian. The food is homely and wonderful. We particularly like their white pizza. Their white pizza appeals to me because its garlicky, thin crust and has no tomato sauce.

My husband came back from a trip to Ohio and I wanted to order the white pizza, but it was too late and the restaurant had closed. So I decided to make the pizza myself. It was quick, easy, and I don’t think we’ll eat pizza out anymore! Besides, you could have so much fun with the toppings!

Pillsbury Pizza dough – 1 can
Alfredo Sauce – 3/4 cup
For toppings:
Mushrooms – 1 box, green pepper – 1 and thyme
or
Broccoli – 1 cup , frozen spinach – 1/2 cup, nutmeg – pinch and Italian seasoning
or
black olives, basil and pine nuts
Garlic – 1 tsp minced
Mozzarella cheese – 2 cups

Pre heat oven to 400 degrees. Lay out the pizza dough on a non stick cookie sheet or baking pan. Press and stretch the dough to fit the pan. Pour the Alfredo sauce over the dough and spread evenly. Then sprinkle the garlic and cheese on top. Then add the toppings over the cheese. Bake for about 17 minutes.

To prepare toppings

For mushroom green pepper pizza – slice the mushrooms and peppers. Saute mushrooms on high for 2-3 minutes. Add the thyme and green peppers.

For broccoli spinach pizza – cut the broccoli into small florets, blanch in salted boiling water. Drain and sprinkle Italian seasoning. Saute the spinach and squeeze out any water. Sprinkle some nutmeg over the spinach.

For black olive basil pine nut pizza – bake the pizza with only the black olives. While pizza is cooking, toast the pine nuts in a non stick pan. Chop the basil. In the last 1 minute of baking, add the pine nuts and basil to the pizza and return to oven.